/vn 


^"-^  "^ 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


FROM    SARANAC    TO    THE 
MARQUESAS  AND  BEYOND 


OLD    VIKW    OF   COI.l.\l.i\     ,1  i.Nsl 
(as    ir    WAS    IN    THE   CHIl.DnoOD    OF    R.   L.   S.) 


'  Heie  is  the  mill  with  the  humming  of  thuiidei',' 

Here  is  th'-  weir  with  the  wonder  of  foam  ; 

Here  is  the  sluice  with  the  lace  running  under. 

Marvellous  places,  though  handy  to  home  1 


FROM    SARANAC 
TO   THE   MARQUESAS 

AND   BEYOND 

BEING  LETTERS  WRITTEN  BY  MRS.  M.  I. 

STEVENSON     DURING     1887-88,     TO     HER 

SISTER,   JANE    WHYTE    BALFOUR,   WITH 

A  SHORT  INTRODUCTION   BY 

GEORGE  W.  BALFOUR,  M.D.,  LL.D.,  F.R.S.E. 

EDITED  AND  ARRANGED  BV 

MARIE  CLOTHILDE  BALFOUR 


NEW    YORK 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 

153-157    FIFTH    AVENUE 

1903 


DEDICATED  TO 

JANE    WHYTE    BALFOUR 

THE   BELOVED   SISTER  TO  WHOM   THESE   LETTERS 

WERE   ORIGINALLY  WRITTEN 

AND  TO  THE   MEMORY  OF  THE  OLD   HOME  IN 

COLINTON   MANSE 


593330 

ENarsH 


'  Loved  of  wise  men  was  the  shade  of  my  roof-tree, 

The  true  word  of  welcome  was  spoken  in  the  door — 
Dear  days  of  old,  with  the  faces  in  the  firelight, 
Kind  folk  of  old,  you  come  again  no  more.' 

Songs  of  Travel:  R.L.S. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTION,  BY  DR.  GEORGE  W.  BALFOUR     ix 

PART  I.,  SARANAC i 

PART  II.,  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  'CASCO'    .         .     59 

CONCLUSION 240 

NOTES 259 

INDEX 311 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

OLD  VIEW  OF  COLINTON  MANSE        .         .  Frontispiece. 

GEORGE  W.  BALFOUR,  M.D.,  LL.D.,  F.R.S.E.   to  face  page     i 

MARGARET  ISABELLA  BALFOUR  AT  THE 

AGE  OF  FIFTEEN ,,48 

JANE  WHYTE  BALFOUR  ....  .,  96 

MRS.   STEVENSON  AND   HER   SON   LOUIS 

IN  1854 .,144 

REV.  LEWIS  BALFOUR,  D.D.  ...  ,.192 

ROBERT  LOUIS  STEVENSON,  AGED  FOUR  „        224 

MRS.  STEVENSON  IN  1889       ....  ,,256 


INTRODUCTION 

'  The  auld  manse,  the  auld  manse, 

A  dear  name  aince  to  me, 
Fond  memory  clings  to  auld  lang  syne, 

When  youth  was  fu'  o'  glee. 
A  faither's  words  are  written  there, 

A  mither's  counsel  true. 
An'  the  music  o'  a  sister's  voice 
Rests  in  sad  memory  now.' 

Dr.  Lawrie,  Monkion  Manse. 

THE  idea  most  usually  associated  with  an 
'  auld  manse  '  is  that  of  a  parsonage ; 
but  any  house  may  become  a  parsonage  if  you 
put  a  parson  into  it,  while  no  number  of 
parsons  would  make  it  into  a  manse.  The 
manse  is  built  specially  for  its  purpose,  as  a 
residence  for  the  minister  of  the  parish  ;  and  it 
remains  the  residence  of  the  minister  and  his 
successors  so  long  as  it  stands.  A  Scotch 
manse  never  falls  to  a  lower  level,  though  what 
it  does  for  the  parish  and  the  district  depends 

ix 


X        FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

on  the  minister  and  his  family.  In  the  days  of 
Mrs.  Stevenson's  youth,  the  manse  of  CoHnton, 
a  village  four  miles  from  Edinburgh,  was  the 
centre  of  life,  energy,  and  beneficence  through- 
out the  whole  district,  to  an  extent  which  may 
be  guessed  from  the  fact  that  when  a  child  was 
taken  to  the  doctor,  he  used  to  pack  it  off  to 
Mrs.  Balfour  with  the  remark,  '  She  kens  far 
mair  aboot  weans  than  I  dae ' ;  a  statement 
that  can  the  more  readily  be  believed  when  it 
is  added  that  he  was  an  old  bachelor,  while 
Mrs.  Balfour  had  a  family  of  thirteen,  and  that 
children's  hospitals  were  then  unknown. 

Scotch  manses  are  all  pleasantly  situated, 
though  each  may  have  its  own  peculiarities  ; 
and  in  this  respect  Colinton  Manse  does  not 
differ  from  others.  If  we  glance  at  a  photo- 
graph of  the  manse  as  it  used  to  be  when  Mrs. 
Stevenson  was  young,  and  as  Robert  Louis 
Stevenson  knew  it  before  the  subsequent 
alterations,  we  see  it  as  a  square  house  stand- 
ing in  the  middle  of  a  large  garden  surrounded 
by  a  beech  hedge  lined  with  holly,  always 
sweet  and  green  alike  in  summer  and  winter. 


'••* 


INTRODUCTION  xi 

There  was  no  house  more  convenient  for  hide- 
and-seek,  or  such  childish  games,  nor  one  into 
which  more  children  could  be  packed  to  play 
them ;  while  the  large  garden  was  a  pleasant 
variety  for  those  who  tired,  or  felt  too  old  for 
such  frolics.  And  there  were  many  such  ;  for 
it  was  no  uncommon  thing  that  after  the  early 
dinner  general  in  those  days,  a  dozen  or  more 
young  people  should  drop  in  to  spend  the 
evening.     They  were  always  welcome. 

Pleasant  as  the  manse  itself  was,  its  sur- 
roundings made  it  a  place  never  to  be  forgotten 
by  those  who  lived  in  and  loved  it.  Stepping 
out  of  the  front  door  into  the  garden  at  two 
o'clock  on  a  bright  May  morning,  one  stepped 
at  once  into  such  a  focus  of  bird-music  as  could 
be  heard  at  no  other  place  and  no  other  time. 
Every  twig  of  the  Colinton  wood  that  rose 
above  the  manse  had  a  chorister,  and  every 
chorister  had  his  own  rich  and  sweet  voice,  the 
whole  blending  into  a  fulness  of  volume  to  be 
heard  in  no  such  volume  elsewhere.  Then  in 
autumn  and  winter,  when  the  bird-music  was 
hushed,   the  sound   of  water  from   the   burns 


xii      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

trickling  down  the  banks  around  so  amply 
supplied  its  place  as  to  recall  Moore's  melody 
as  the  only  fit  expression  of  its  beauty : — 

'  There  is  not  in  the  wide  world  a  valley  so  sweet, 
As  that  vale  in  whose  bosom  the  bright  waters  meet, 
For  the  last  rays  of  feeling  and  life  must  depart. 
Ere  the  bloom  of  that  valley  shall  fade  from  my  heart.' 

Not  many  years  ago  a  dying  medical  friend 
expressed  a  great  desire  to  see  one  of  the  old 
residents  of  the  manse,  who  rose  from  a  sick- 
bed with  a  temperature  of  104°  to  go  to  him  ; 
and  when  he  reached  the  bedside  of  his  patient 
told  him  how,  in  his  fever,  those  words  had 
constantly  run  in  his  thoughts  : — 

'  By  cool  Siloam's  shady  rill 

How  sweet  the  lily  grows  : 
How  sweet  the  breath,  beneath  the  hill, 
Of  Sharon's  dewy  rose.' 

The  patient  quite  recognised  the  refreshing 
feeling  of  the  quotation,  and  added :  '  The 
sights  and  sounds  of  our  youth  are  the  last  to 
fade  from  our  dying  eyes,  and  you  and  I  will 
never  forget  our  boyhood  beside  the  Water  of 
Leith.' 


INTRODUCTION  xiii 

Indeed,  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  forget 
the  sound  of  rushing  waters  that  pervaded  the 
old  manse,  and  that  has  never  left  the  ears 
of  those  who  were  brought  up  there.  The 
babbling  streams  that  trickled  through  Colinton 
woods  were  as  nothing  to  the  pleasant  roar 
with  which  the  Water  of  Leith  swept  round  the 
manse  and  over  the  Hole  Mill  dam, — both 
mill  and  dam  long  since  vanished ;  but  the  soft 
rushing  of  the  water  is  heard  still  in  the  ears  of 
those  who  lived  as  children  within  its  ken. 

Colinton  Manse  itself  was  supposed  to  have 
been  built  in  1784  for  the  Rev.  Dr.  Walker, 
minister  of  the  parish,  and  Professor  of  Natural 
History  in  the  University  of  Edinburgh,  who 
has  left  his  mark  all  around  his  old  home 
in  many  semi-naturalised  plants  in  the  manse 
garden  and  the  encompassing  woods.  Recently, 
however,  in  making  a  third  series  of  repairs, 
a  stone  was  discovered  bearing  the  date  1636, 
so  that  the  manse  may  be  much  older  than  was 
supposed.  It  is  built  upon  a  flat  rock  in  the 
centre  of  its  garden  of  three-quarters  of  an  acre 
Scots,  ten  feet  below  the  level  of  the  church- 


xiv     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

yard ;  it  could  never  be  utilised  for  any  other 
purpose  than  as  a  manse,  being  from  its 
situation  not  well  adapted  as  a  residence  for 
any  but  a  minister's  family,  whose  religious 
surroundings  might  be  relied  on  to  protect 
them  from  the  '  Spunkies  '  that  to  childish  eyes 
danced  over  the  churchyard,  or  the  *  will-o'-the 
wisps '  that  glimmered  through  the  churchyard 
hedge.  The  solid  rock  on  which  the  house  is 
founded  also  precluded  the  use  of  the  ground 
as  an  addition  to  the  graveyard,  while  helping 
to  preserve  the  manse  as  an  admirable  and 
most  healthy  dwelling-place  for  succeeding 
generations,  well  drained  and  well  ventilated. 
'  Low-lying  and  unhealthy,  do  you  call  it  ? ' 
Dr.  Balfour  used  to  say.  '  Well,  I  have  spent 
a  goodly  part  of  eighty  years  in  the  manse  and 
have  always  enjoyed  good  health ;  and  when 
my  children  ail,  they  always  come  here  to 
recruit ! ' 

Into  this  commodious  but  already  well-filled 
house  a  twelfth  child  and  fourth  daughter  was 
ushered  on  the  nth  February  1829.  She  was 
named  Margaret  Isabella,  after  an  aunt,  but  for 


INTRODUCTION  xv 

some  time  was  known  by  the  rather  uncouth 
contraction,  '  Magga-bella' ;  this  however  was 
ultimately  shortened  to  '  Maggie,'  which  re- 
mained the  name  by  which  she  was  univer- 
sally known  through  life.  Tall,  slender, 
singularly  graceful,  brilliantly  fair  in  com- 
plexion, she  was  known  throughout  the  parish 
as  '  the  minister's  white-headed  lassie ' ;  her 
greatest  pleasure  was  to  '  nurse '  any  baby  she 
could  get  hold  of,  and  to  reach  one  she  would 
'  kilt  her  coats '  and  wade  through  all  the 
burns  in  the  parish,  and  many  a  time  through 
the  Water  of  Leith  itself  The  sweet  and 
sympathetic  temper  which  made  her  so  wel- 
come and  kind  a  nurse  made  her  also  the 
delightful  companion  she  was  to  all  throughout 
her  life,  and  enabled  her  to  make  a  perfect 
heaven  upon  earth  of  a  household  which 
contained  within  itself  the  elements  of  discord. 
A  personage  in  every  way  so  attractive  was 
not  likely  to  be  permitted  to  remain  long  in 
her  own  quiet  home,  so  it  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at  that  Maggie  Balfour  was  married 
to    Thomas   Stevenson   at   the    early   age    of 


xvi     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

nineteen.  She  was  still  so  young  that  there 
had  been  neither  time  nor  opportunity  to 
leave  behind  her  in  the  parish  any  other 
impression  than  that  she  was  '  the  minister's 
white-headed  lassie,  who  was  daft  aboot 
weans ' ;  and  by  now  even  this  characteristic 
is  pretty  nearly  forgotten.  Yet  she  did  not 
leave  the  manse  altogether  behind  her.  Her 
only  child,  Robert  Louis  Stevenson,  was  born 
on  November  13,  1850,  and  being  more  or 
less  delicate  from  birth,  he  and  his  mother 
spent  a  large  portion  of  their  time  in  her  old 
home,  while  Thomas  Stevenson  made  a  great 
number  of  his  experiments  in  holophotal 
lighting  in  the  manse  garden.  The  only 
drawback  to  his  perfect  happiness  there,  he 
said,  apart  from  the  illness  of  his  wife  and 
child,  was  that  he  was  roused  every  morning 
in  what  he  called  '  the  middle  of  the  night ' ; 
the  prayer-bell  being  rung  at  8  a.m.  summer 
and  winter,  while  at  one  time  the  clock  was 
kept  half  an  hour  fast  to  cheat  those  who 
objected  to  get  up  so  early. 

Shortly  after  this,  Mrs.  Stevenson  developed 


INTRODUCTION  xvii 

a  patch  of  fibroid  pneumonia  in  her  left  lung, 
with    slight    haemoptysis.     For    this    she  was 
sent  to  Mentone ;  and  at  the  end  of  two  years 
she  and   a   German   lady,   suffering  similarly, 
were  the  only  survivors   of  the  first  season's 
visitors  to  that  celebrated  health  resort.     For 
some  years  after  this,  the  health  alike  of  Mrs. 
Stevenson  and  her  son  necessitated  wintering 
abroad  every  season,  as  well  as  great  care  in 
selecting   a   suitable    summer    residence ;    nor 
was  she  allowed  to  rise  before  lunch,  though 
later  in  the  day  she  was  always  able  to  dis- 
charge her  many  social  duties,   and    her  un- 
diminished  gaiety  and  wit  still,   and  always, 
delighted  her  wide  circle  of  friends  and  guests. 
By  and  by  increasing  ill-health  on  the  part  of 
herself,  her  husband,  and   her  son  broke  up 
the  domesticity  of  the  once  happy  home,  and 
then  came  about  the  most  remarkable  part  of 
Mrs.    Stevenson's    history — a   veritable   crisis 
in  her  life. 

After  her  husband's  death  in  1887,  not  only 
her  happiness  but  her  very  existence  seemed 
to  merge  in  that   of  her   distinguished   son. 


xviii    FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

She  rose  from  her  bed  in  renewed  youth  and 
went  off  with  him  to  the  Adirondacks,  not 
suffering  more  than  himself  from  the  severe 
cold,  and  possibly  deriving  an  actual  benefit 
from  it.  For  an  equable  climate,  rather  than 
any  special  temperature,  is  what  these  fibroid 
pneumonias  require ;  the  patients  themselves 
often  hanker  after  a  warmer  climate,  but  if 
pleasanter,  it  is  less  suitable  for  them,  since 
in  it  they  incur  greater  risk  of  haemorrhage. 
After  this  winter,  however,  the  Stevensons 
went  to  the  South  Seas,  and  finally  settled  in 
Samoa ;  where  the  quondam  delicate  woman 
adapted  herself  to  her  strange  surroundings, 
went  about  barefoot,  found  no  heat  too  great 
for  her,  and  at  an  age  when  her  sisters  at  home 
were  old  ladies,  learnt  to  ride  ! 

Shortly  after  her  son  Louis'  death,  Mrs. 
Stevenson  returned  to  Edinburgh,  where  she 
lived  till  May  1897,  when  she  was  seized  with 
pneumonia.  The  day  before  her  death,  the 
nurse  asking  if  she  were  prepared  for  what- 
ever might  happen,  she  replied  in  the 
affirmative ;    and  between  seven  and  eight  in 


INTRODUCTION  xix 

the  evening,  thinking  she  saw  her  son  at  the 
foot  of  the  bed,  she  exclaimed,  '  There  is 
Louis!  I  must  go  .  .  .'  and  fell  back  at  once, 
unconscious,  though  she  did  not  actually 
breathe  her  last  till  the  next  day,  one  of  the 
few  survivors  left  of  the  happy  company  of 
'children  of  the  manse.'  Truly  we  may  be 
thankful  that  we  still  have  '  Auntie  '  with  us — 
*  Chief  of  our  Aunts ! '  as  she  was  truly 
called ;  and 

'  In  her  dear  hands 

Are  gathered  the  various  strings  of  memory, 
To  pluck  them  at  our  bidding,  one  by  one.' 

GEORGE  W.  BALFOUR. 


[These  were  almost  the  last  words  written 
by  Dr.  George  W.  Balfour  before  his  death. 

In  his  long  illness,  so  bravely  and  cheerfully 
borne,  his  thoughts  turned  more  and  more 
towards  the  pleasant  home  in  the  valley  of  the 
Water  of  Leith,  where  he  spent  his  childhood  ; 
and  last  but  one  of  the  children  of  the  manse, 
it  was  a  pleasure  to  him,  and  I  think  a  grateful 


XX      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

labour  even  in  his  weakness,  to  write  these 
words  so  full  of  memories  of  the  past.  As  he 
himself  says,  the  song  of  birds  in  Colinton 
woods,  and  the  rush  of  water  sweeping  by 
Colinton  Manse,  stayed  with  him  to  the  end. 
That  end  found  him  in  the  old  parish,  that 
has  lost  in  him  one  more  link  with  the  past, 
and  where  he  was  beloved  alike  for  his  father's 
sake  and  his  own.  And  the  sermon  preached 
on  the  day  of  his  death,  in  the  church  that 
had  been  his  father's  so  long  ago,  closed  with 
these  words : — 

'  When  the  end  comes,  as  it  came  to  him, 
after  a  long  life  of  usefulness  and  honour; 
when  it  is  the  sheaf  golden  and  fully  ripe  that 
is  garnered ;  even  death  itself  ceases  to  be 
grievous,  and  the  old  saying  comes  true  : — 

'  "  Ease  after  toil,  port  after  stormy  seas, 
,  Peace  after  war,  death  after  life. 

Doe  greatly  please." ' 

M.  C.  B.] 


GKliNGK    W.    ll.M.IUUK,    M.ii.,    ].I..D.,    l-'.K.S. 
I'HY.SICIAN    IN    U1.:D1NAKY   TO    TUP,    KING    FOR    SCon.ANI) 

■■That  wise  youth,  my  Uncle  .  .  .  ' 

ncdkntioii  to  Vudernwods,  li.  L.  S. 


fiom  ,t  pholog>ii;>k  by  Mr.  y.  Moffat,  Bdinbnrgh 


FROM  SARANAC  TO 
THE  MARQUESAS  AND  BEYOND 

PART  I.   :  SARANAC 

IT  is  not  proposed  to  transcribe  in  full  in  the 
following-  pages,  Mrs.  Stevenson's  letters 
written  during  the  months  immediately  pre- 
ceding her  cruise  in  the  South  Seas. 

There  is,  indeed,  as  can  well  be  understood, 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  letters  that  would 
be  quite  unsuitable  for  such  treatment ;  for 
in  this  journey,  so  new  to  her,  but  so  often 
described  by  others,  she  naturally  comments 
upon  matters  that  are  already  quite  familiar  to 
many.  Moreover,  since  she  wrote  to  a  circle 
of  home  readers  as  yet  much  smaller  than  it 
afterwards  became,  there  is  a  larger  proportion 
of  purely  private  matter ;  so  that  in  some  of 
the  letters,  more  especially  the  earlier  ones, 
there  are  only  isolated  passages  of  general 
interest.     Nevertheless,  it  has  been  felt  that 


2       FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

some  account  should  be  given  of  this  winter  in 
the  Adirondacks. 

It  was  the  first  step  in  the  great  journey 
that  Mrs.  Stevenson  undertook,  at  an  age 
when  most  women  are  glad  to  renounce  such 
things  ;  a  journey  that  went  further  and  lasted 
longer  than  she  foresaw,  and  that  carried  her 
to  many  strange  and  lovely  places.  But  to 
write  of  these  without  the  stages  on  the  road 
that  lead  to  them  is  to  tell  only  half  the  story, 
with  all  its  extraordinary  contrasts  omitted ;  it 
is  one  side  of  the  picture  without  the  other,  the 
sun  without  the  snow,  the  tropic  heat  without 
the  Arctic  winter  that  came  before  it.  It  seems, 
indeed,  from  these  letters,  that  the  Adirondacks 
did  not  serve  so  badly  in  the  matter  of  health, 
since  we  hear  of  fewer  colds  and  haemorrhages 
than  are  recorded  in  Tahiti  or  Hawaii  :  but  it 
is  possible  that  the  bitter  cold  of  Saranac  urged 
the  Stevensons  to  its  proper  antithesis  in  the 
tropics,  and  it  is  certain  that  it  added  to  the 
intensity  with  which  they  enjoyed  their  life  in 
the  South  Seas. 

To  give  some  impression,  therefore,  of  these 
months  in  America,  the  following  plan  has  been 
adopted  :  Extracts  have  been  made  from  Mrs. 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS       3 

Stevenson's  letters  and  run  togfether  so  as  to 
form  a  more  or  less  complete  and  consecutive, 
but  condensed,  narrative.  Dates  and  a  few 
necessary  references  are  given  as  footnotes, 
but  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  transcribe 
each,  or  any,  letter  in  full,  or  by  itself.  The 
South  Sea  'journal-letters,'  which  follow,  are 
of  course  given  in  entirety  ;  but  the  object  here 
has  rather  been  to  present,  in  Mrs.  Stevenson's 
own  words,  a  short  introductory  account  of  the 
winter  at  Saranac  that  immediately  preceded 
and  led  to  the  cruise  of  the  Casco. 


4      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 


Oji  board  the  '•  Ludgate  Hill^  Aug.  25,  iSSy."* 

HERE  we  are,  having  made  a  famous  start. 
Yesterday  was  very  fine  and  warm,  and 
Louis  was  even  able  to  be  on  deck  in  the 
evening.  The  sea  is  Hke  a  mill-pond,  and  I 
could  even  do  with  a  little  more  motion !  .  .  . 
When  we  came  on  board,  however,  we  were 
rather  disappointed  to  find  a  very  dirty  and 
untidy  vessel,  not  the  least  like  the  one  Fanny 
had  seen,  and  which  was  said  to  be  a  '  sister 
ship '  to  this ;  and  after  we  had  started  we 
heard  that  we  were  to  take  in  cargo  at  Havres, 
and  presently  discovered  that  said  cargo  was 
to  consist  of  two  hundred  and  forty  horses  ! 
This  was  slightly  discouraging,  but  we  agreed 
to  make  the  best  of  things  and  look  upon  it  as 
an  'adventure,'  which  Louis  and  Lloyd  have 
always  been  sighing  for.  The  captain  declared 
that  horses  made  capital  passengers — '  better 
than  some  people ' — and  that  once  we  were  in 


*  The  party  consisted  of  Mrs.  Stevenson,  her  son  Robert  Louis 
Stevenson  and  his  wife,  his  stepson  Mr.  Osbourne,  and  Valentine  Roch, 
a  trusted  Swiss  maid  who  had  been  some  time  in  their  service. 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS       5 

the  swell  of  the  Atlantic,  they  were  quite  quiet. 
The  embarkment  at  Havres  was  certainly 
interesting,  and  it  was  as  good  as  a  circus  to 
watch  the  process ;  but  the  night  we  spent  in 
dock  there  was  a  perfect  pandemonium  ;  what 
with  the  neighing  of  horses,  the  lowing  of  cattle 
(for  we  have  some  of  them  on  board  too),  the 
taking  in  of  cargo,  and  the  constant  shouting 
and  yelling  of  French  and  English  sailors. 
We  were  rather  disturbed  by  it  all,  as  you  may 
suppose,  but  got  more  sleep  than  sounds 
possible.  The  worst  of  it  Is  the  strong  stable 
smell,  which  is  not  quite  the  fine  sea  air  that 
we  expected  to  blow  In  at  our  port-hole. 
However,  Louis  assures  us  It  is  *  gran'  for  the 
health,'  so  that  ought  to  be  a  consolation. 

Our  company  on  board  is  not  very  dis- 
tinguished, but  we  have  no  reason  to  com- 
plain of  that.  So  far  every  one  has  been  very 
pleasant ;  though  there  Is  one  passenger  who 
has  a  habit  of  attachlnor  himself  to  a  victim 
and  talking  to  him  straight  on  for  hours.  Louis 
calls  him  '  the  bore  ' ;  which  has  now  developed 
into  '  Orate  et  Borate'  .  .   . 

We  have  had  almost  continuous  bad  weather, 
and  two  nights  were  very  stormy.     I  confess  I 


6       FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

was  rather  frightened  at  first ;  but  I  was  com- 
forted to  hear  that  although  a  cattle-boat  may 
have  drawbacks,  you  may  always  be  sure  it  is 
considered  safe  when  it  is  trusted  with  so 
valuable  a  cargo.  The  wind  is  still  high,  and 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  move  about.  The 
poor  horses  suffer  very  much  and  cry  out  at 
night  in  a  dreadfully  human  way ;  they  stamp 
so  constantly,  poor  things,  that  I  feel  as  if  they 
must  end  by  making  a  hole  through  the  bottom 
of  the  ship !  They  are  well  looked  after,  how- 
ever ;  the  men  in  charge  sit  up  all  night  when 
the  weather  is  stormy.  One  man  is  a  queer 
old  fellow  with  a  broad  red  sash  round  his 
waist,  and  a  keen  eye  that  Fanny  is  sure  must 
keep  the  horses  in  order ;  but  I  fancy  he  puts 
more  reliance  in  a  big  stick  that  he  always 
carries  about  with  him.  Among  his  underlings 
are  an  Ashantee,  an  Indian,  and  a  Negro.  It 
is  rather  strange  to  look  straight  out  through  our 
port-hole  on  a  row  of  horses,  and  still  stranger, 
in  the  saloon,  to  see  a  horse  looking  in  at  one 
of  the  windows.  It  would  be  curious  to  hear 
what  he  thinks  of  it. 

.   .   .  This  weather  makes  many   blanks  at 
table.     Louis,  however,  is  well,  and  in  great 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS        7 

spirits,  and  seems  already  ever  so  much  better. 
He  was  in  our  cabin  by  eight  o'clock  this  morn- 
ing, looking  as  young  and  gay  as  a  schoolboy, 
and  reminding  me  of  days  lang  syne :  he  calls 
himself  'the  hardy  mariner.'  We  have  our 
own  tea  and  butter,  and  you  would  be  amused 
to  see  him  fishing  them  out  from  our  '  pantry,' 
which  is  under  the  sofa,  and  going  round  with 
tea  and  biscuits  for  the  invalids,  to  try  and  pre- 
pare them  for  breakfast  by  and  by.  I  myself 
have  never  been  better  in  my  life,  and  have 
never  suffered  from  the  motion.  Louis  calls 
me  'Mother  Carey's  chicken,'  a  complimen- 
tary name  for  so  old  a  bird !  .  .  . 

It  is  a  week  to-day  since  we  left  Havres,  and 
will  likely  be  at  least  another  week  before  we 
reach  New  York.  The  weather  is  still  cold  and 
stormy,  and  the  wind  dead  against  us,  so  we 
get  on  very  slowly.  Most  of  the  invalids  are 
getting  better,  however ;  and  we  can't  be 
thankful  enough  that  Louis  has  kept  so  well  in 
spite  of  all  the  drawbacks  of  the  voyage.  He 
has  taken  no  cold,  so  far,  and  was  as  bright 
and  cheery  as  possible,  going  about  among  the 
sick  people  and  dosing  them  with  champagne ; 
indeed  he  enjoyed  it  so  much,  that  he  was  half 


8       FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

sorry  when  they  got  better  !  .  .  .  Our  sock- 
knitting  has  proved  a  great  occupation.  I  have 
finished  one  and  am  well  on  with  the  other ; 
but  Fanny  is  still  struggling  with  her  heel, 
which  has  been  taken  down  several  times  and 
always  seems  to  get  worse  instead  of  better, 
Louis  declares  that  she  has  had  the  stewardess 
and  our  special  steward  '  Peter '  and  all  sorts 
of  people  helping  her,  but  all  to  no  avail.  At 
least  we  get  great  amusement  out  of  it.  .  .  . 

The  gale  has  come  to  an  end  at  last,  and  we 
can  get  on  deck  and  move  about  freely,  which 
has  been  impossible  hitherto.  Every  one  says 
it  has  been  an  extraordinary  passage  for  the 
season  ;  not  because  the  wind  has  been  excep- 
tionally high,  but  it  has  been  so  continuous. 
Now,  however,  we  are  off  Newfoundland,  in  the 
region  of  fogs  :  talk  of  Scottish  mists,  why,  a 
'  soft  day '  in  Arran  is  dry  compared  with  this. 
In  a  few  minutes  we  are  soaking.  .  .  .  This 
morning  Louis  roused  us  at  7  a.m.  to  '  see  Cape 
Race ' ;  we  dressed  in  a  fashion  and  hurried  up 
to  find  the  fog  had  lifted,  but  I  can't  say  I  saw 
much  land,  it  might  quite  as  well  have  been  a 
cloud.  However,  on  this  occasion  I  employed 
faith  to  construct  a  mountain  instead  of  to  move 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS        9 

one.  Unfortunately,  our  pleasure  in  nearing 
the  end  of  our  journey  is  spoilt  by  Louis  having 
caught  cold — I  hope  not  a  bad  one,  but  at  the 
best  it  is  distressing  and  makes  us  anxious. 
He  is  as  cheerful  as  ever,  so  far,  and  declares 
he  is  much  more  astonished  at  having  kept 
well  till  now  than  at  having  knocked  up  at 
last.  .  .  . 

The  sensation  of  to-day,  the  5th  of  Sep- 
tember, was  the  arrival  of  the  pilot.  First  one 
pilot-boat  was  seen  making  all  sail  and  trying 
to  catch  us  up,  and  then  another  appeared 
ahead  of  us  and  much  nearer ;  when  No.  i  saw 
this  he  gave  us  up  as  a  bad  job,  and  bore  out  to 
sea  to  look  for  another  vessel.  It  made  me  feel 
very  like  a  fly  with  two  spiders  making  for  me  ; 
two  very  important  little  spiders  and  a  big 
stupid  fly.  ...  I  must  not  forget  to  tell  you 
that  the  pilot  was  greatly  delighted  when  he 
found  out  who  Louis  was ;  it  seems  that  he 
himself  actually  went  by  the  name  of  '  Mr. 
Hyde  '  on  board  the  pilot-boat,  and  his  partner 
was  called  Dr.  Jekyll,  because  the  one  was  easy 
and  good-natured,  and  the  other  rather  hard 
and  inclined  to  screw  the  men  down  to  their 
work.     Was  it  not  strange  that  he,  out  of  so 


lo     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

many,  should  have  been  the  one  to  bring  us 
into  New  York?  .   .  . 

We  were  met,  as  soon  as  we  got  into  dock, 

by  a  telegram  from  Mr.  F to  say  that  he 

was  unable  to  come  himself,  but  a  carriage  was 
waiting  to  take  us  to  the  hotel,  where  we  were 
to  stay  as  his  guests  till  we  felt  able  to  go  on 
to  Newport.  Was  it  not  a  pleasant  reception 
in  a  new  and  strange  land  ? 

o 

New  York,  September  lo, 

WHEN  we  got  to  the  hotel,  interviewers 
from  all  the  papers  began  to  arrive  at 
once.  Louis,  who  was  very  tired  and  far  from 
well,  had  gone  to  bed  immediately,  to  have  a 
rest,  so  they  had  to  be  dismissed  and  told  to 
come  back  later,  when  they  must  take  their 
chance  of  finding  him ;  but  it  was  hard  to 
persuade  them  to  go  away,  and  they  kept 
sending  up  their  cards  even  after  Louis  had 
finally  settled  down  for  the  night. 

On  Wednesday,  the  day  we  landed,  the  heat 
was  very  great,  and  we  had  all  the  windows  wide 
open  ;  but  in  the  middle  of  the  night  it  turned 
very  cold — something  like  an  Edinburgh  east 
wind,  and  more  unexpected.     We  felt  that  such 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS       ti 

a  climate  was  very  unsuitable  for  Louis,  so  we 
sent  him  off  to  Newport  on  Thursday,  in  the 
charge  of  Lloyd  and  Valentine.  .  .  .  When  they 
were  gone,  Fanny  and  I  decided  to  look  for  a 
more  moderate  hotel,  and  found  one  which  is 
quite  comfortable  and  reasonable  :  but  when  we 
offered  to  pay  our  share  of  the  bill  at  the  first 
place,  the  clerk  declared  there  was  nothing 
owing,  and  added,  *  It  will  be  well  for  the 
ladies  if  their  path  to  heaven  is  as  clear  as  it  is 
out  of  this  hotel ! ' 

One  of  our  objects  in  staying  on  here  has 
been  to  see  the  first  performance  oi  Jekyll  and 
Hyde,  which  takes  place  to-night  (Sept.  12). 
At  first  we  were  told  that  we  could  only  get 
seats  far  back,  as  all  the  others  had  been  taken  ; 
but  later  Mr.  Sullivan,  who  dramatised  the 
story,  gave  up  his  box  to  Fanny,  saying  that 
the  author's  box  certainly  belonged  to  her. 
He  is  a  nice  young  fellow,  and  very  modest 
about  himself :  he  will  not  go  on  the  stage  even 
when  loudly  called  for,  as  at  Boston  ;  he  says  he 
would  go  with  Louis,  but  not  alone.  .  .  .  Tues- 
day morning. — Just  a  line  to  say  that  the  play 
was  most  thrilling  and  a  great  success.  Hyde 
is  the  most  dreadful  creature  you  can  imagine, 


12     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

and  Jekyll  so  much  the  reverse,  that  how  he 
can  change  from  one  to  the  other  is  past  my 
comprehension — it  is  marvellous,  especially  in 
the  latter  part.  The  murder  scene  was  too 
much  for  me,  I  could  not  look  at  it.  I  think 
the  play  can  never  be  really  popular  with 
ordinary  playgoers,  but  it  was  enthusiastically 
received  and  the  house  was  packed.  Lloyd, 
who  came  up  from  Newport  to  see  it,  and 
arrived  late,  got  the  second  last  standing-place, 
and  that  with  a  squeeze. 


Newport,  September  lo,  1887.* 

HERE  we  are  in  the  meantime.  It  was 
indeed  vexing  that  Louis  got  cold 
just  as  we  arrived  :  however,  there  has  been  no 
haemorrhage  and  he  is  now  feeling  better,  so 
he  and  Fanny  went  off  to  New  York  last  night 
to  see  the  best  lung  doctor  there,  and  to  settle 
where  we  are  to  go  for  the  winter.  I  shall  be 
very  anxious  till  it  is  finally  decided,  and  indeed 
until  we  reach  our  destination  and  see  how  it 
suits  him.  .  .  .  I  have  been  much  the  better  for 

*  Extracted  from  letter  to  '  Cummy '  (Miss  A.  Cunningham),  Robert 
Louis  Stevenson's  devoted  nurse  and  attendant  in  earlier  days. 


FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      13 

the  voyage,  and  you  would  be  surprised  to  see 

how  much  I  can  do.     The  other  day  Lloyd  and 

I  went  for  a  walk  along  the  fine  cliffs,  with  the 

Atlantic  on  one  side  of  us,  and  large  villas  on 

the  other,  planted  in  beautiful  emerald  lawns 

without  any  division  or  hedge  between  them ; 

for  it  appears  that  it  is  considered  very  selfish 

here  to  put  up  any  fence  which  prevents  your 

neighbours  from  enjoying  your  possessions,  so 

that  there  is  not  much  privacy.     We  walked 

about  three  miles,  and  expected  to  meet  at  the 

end  a  kind  of  open  omnibus  to  take  us  back  to 

our  boarding-house.     I  was  very  tired,  and  sat 

down  to  wait  for  it ;  but  as  time  passed  and  no 

vehicle  appeared,  we  began  to  get  uneasy  and 

Lloyd  went  to  inquire  of  a  boy,  who  'guessed 

the  man  wouldn't  feel  like  starting-  unless  he 

had  got  a  party.'     This  was  cheerful,  as  I  was 

tired  out,  and  we  were  three  miles  from  home  ; 

but  just  then  a  grocer's  cart  came  past,  and  we 

begged  the  driver  to  give  us  a  lift  on  our  way. 

He  said  at  once  that  we  might  g-o  with  him  as 

far  as  he  could  take  us  ;  so  we  mounted  beside 

him,  and  behold  us  driving  throug-h  the  smartest 

part  of  the  most  fashionable  watering-place  in 

the  States  in  a  grocer's  cart,  stopping  at  the 


14     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

doors  while  the  man  delivered  his  parcels !  He 
was  a  nice  young  fellow  and  would  take  nothing 
in  return. 

...  In  our  New  York  hotel  there  was  a  bed 
in  every  room,  but  they  can  be  made  up  into 
a  sort  of  bureau  by  day,  if  you  wish  to  use  the 
room  as  a  parlour,  while  the  washing  arrange- 
ments are  all  hidden  away  in  little  closets 
lighted  with  gas.  In  one  there  is  a  fixed-in 
basin  of  very  small  size,  with  two  large  taps  for 
hot  and  cold  water  hanging  over  it,  so  that  I 
was  afraid  lest  I  should  put  my  eyes  out  while 
washing  my  face  ;  and  in  another  there  is  a 
fixed-in  bath.  .  .  .  Fanny  says  that  when  she 
first  went  to  England  she  hated  our  ways,  for 
she  could  not  lift  the  heavy  ewers,  and  thought 
we  only  used  them  because  we  were  so  poverty- 
stricken  that  we  could  not  afford  to  have  fixed- 
in  basins !  So  you  see  everything  depends  on 
the  point  of  view. 

...  I  have  just  heard  that  we  are  to  go  to 
the  Adirondacks,  a  mountainous  district  not 
very  far  from  New  York.  The  climate  is  said 
to  resemble  Davos,  and  so  may  be  just  the  thing 
for  Louis  :  but  if  after  a  while  it  does  not  seem 
to  suit  him,  we  can  then  move  on  to  Colorado, 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS       15 

He  is  so  much  better  now,  that  we  would  not 
be  so  afraid  of  the  journey. 

Plqttsburg,  October  2.* 

LOUIS,  Valentine,  and  I  left  New  York 
on  Friday,  and  we  have  made  out  our 
journey  very  well,  so  far,  and  have  enjoyed  it. 
We  had  a  delightful  little  cabin  all  to  ourselves 
on  the  river-boat  and  a  most  attentive  blackie 
to  look  after  us.  Mr.  Low,  who  saw  us  off,  told 
us  that  the  man  had  come  up  to  him  in  a  most 
insinuating  way,  saying,  '  You  might  tell  me 
who  these  people  in  there  are  ;  something  royal, 
ain't  they  ? '  Mr.  Low  regretted  afterwards  that 
he  had  not  thought  of  saying  it  was  '  Prince 
Florizel  of  Bohemia  and  his  suite ' !  .  .  .  The 
river  scenery  constantly  reminded  me  of  Scot- 
land, but  of  course  the  autumn  foliage  is 
something  wholly  new  to  us  both.  Louis  and 
I  had  always  longed  to  see  it,  and  at  last  we 
are  fully  satisfied.  ...  I  went  to  the  Presby- 
terian Church  here  this  morning,  and  had  a  very 
good  sermon  :  in  the  course  of  it  the  minister, 
in  speaking  of  yielding  to  evil,  said  that  by 
doing   so,   '  in   the  end   Hyde  would  conquer 

■"  Letters  to  Miss  Balfour  resumed. 


i6     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

Jekyll.'  Was  it  not  odd  that  I  should  just 
happen  to  hear  that  in  this  out-of-the-way 
place  ?  And  moreover  the  last  sermon  I  heard 
in  New  York  was  on  the  same  subject.  .   .  . 

On  Monday  morning  Louis,  Valentine,  and 
I  again  started  on  our  way  to  the  Adirondacks. 
The  railway  took  us  as  far  as  Loon  Lake, 
through  a  country  very  like  what  Perthshire 
may  have  been  some  two  hundred  years  ago  ; 
some  of  the  forests,  however,  are  partly  cut 
down,  and  the  rivers  are  full  of  lumber  on  its 
long  way  to  the  sea.  I  am  told  it  takes  four 
years  to  travel  from  Saranac  to  Plattsburg! 
...  At  Loon  Lake  we  found  a  nice  buggy 
waiting  for  us  ;  it  had  two  horses,  and  had  been 
specially  made  for  invalids,  with  good  springs, 
which  we  fully  appreciated  while  driving 
twenty-five  miles  over  very  bad  roads.  The 
wind  was  cold,  and  when  we  were  about  half- 
way the  rain  came  on,  and  I  was  frightened 
about  Louis ;  however,  we  found  there  was  a 
water-proof  apron  that  buttoned  right  up  to 
the  top  of  the  hood,  so  that  we  were  practi- 
cally in  a  close  carriage.  When  we  reached 
Saranac,  Fanny  met  us  in  a  petticoat  and 
jacket,  busy  cooking  our  dinner ! 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      17 

The  house  is  built  of  wooden  boards,  painted 
white,  with  green    shutters,   and    a   verandah 
around  it.     It  belongs  to  a  guide,  who  takes 
parties  into  the  woods  for  shooting  and  fishing 
excursions  ;  he  usually  has  boarders,  but  he  and 
his  wife  have  agreed  to  give  over  to  us  part  of 
the  house,  their  own  portion  being  entirely  shut 
off  by  double  doors.      Into  our  part  you  enter 
by  the  kitchen  !      Through  that  you  pass   to 
the  sitting-room,  which  is  large,  and  has  a  good 
open  hearth  for  wood  fires  ;  straight  on  leads 
to  Louis's  and  Fanny's  room,  which  has  four 
windows  and  a  stove,  and  beyond  that  again  is 
Louis's  study.     Besides  the  two  doors  already 
mentioned  in  the  sitting-room,  there  are  no  less 
than  three  others ;  one  to  the  verandah,  which 
is  the  proper  '  front  entrance  '  of  the  house,  but 
has  to  be  shut  up  in  winter  on  account  of  the 
cold ;    one  to  my  room,  which   has  also  four 
windows,   and   one  opening  on    a  steep  stair 
which  leads  to  Lloyd's  room  and  a  small  spare 
chamber.      Everything  is  of  the   plainest  and 
simplest,  but  sufficiently  comfortable.     We  are 
about  ten  minutes'  walk  distant  from  the  vil- 
lage and  beautifully  situated  above  the  river, 
upon  which  we  look  down ;  the  view  from  our 

B 


1 8   FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

windows  is  best  described  as  'very  highland,' 
but  the  chief  glory  just  now  lies  in  the 
autumn  colourings,  which  Louis  declares  are 
exactly  like  the  Skelt's  theatre  scenes,  the 
'  twopence  coloured '  ones  that  we  used  to  think 
so  impossible !  He  is  consequently  delighted, 
and  declares  it  reminds  him  of  Leith  Street 
and  home.  .  .  .  Fortunately  he  has  been 
none  the  worse  of  the  journey  and  the  long 
drive  in  the  rain,  and  says  that  he  already 
feels  the  air  of  Saranac  doing  him  good,  so 
I  trust  we  have  hit  on  a  place  that  will  really 
suit  him. 

Yesterday'"  was  a  charming  day,  with  Mentone 
skies  and  the  brightest  of  sunshine  ;  certainly,  if 
we  have  a  good  deal  of  weather  like  this  we 
shall  think  ourselves  very  well  off.  And  the 
air  is  delicious,  with  a  sweetness  that  again  and 
again  reminds  me  of  the  Highlands.  We  now 
go  out  for  frequent  drives  ;  I  have  begun  to 
drive  myself,  and  enjoy  it  very  much,  but  at 
first  I  was  nervous,  as  the  roads  are  so  narrow, 
and  often  run  along  precipitous  banks.  How- 
ever the  prettiest  of  all  is  quite  safe,  and  just 
now  there  is  little  traffic  on  it,  so  I  began  on 

*  October  23. 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      19 

that.  On  Thursday  we  had  a  conveyance  new 
to  me,  a  buck  board ;  it  is  just  a  long,  very 
elastic  board  fastened  to  two  pairs  of  wheels, 
with  a  small  seat  in  the  centre,  holding  two 
with  difficulty.  There  are  no  springs,  but  the 
board  is  so  elastic  that  it  is  quite  enjoyable 
when  we  come  to  a  rough  bit  of  the  road  ;  we 
go  up  and  down  as  if  we  were  in  a  swing.  The 
worst  part  of  it  is,  that  the  only  way  to  hold  on 
the  rug  is  by  wrapping  it  under  our  feet  and 
it  is  always  slipping  off;  also  there  is  no  place 
for  parcels  except  on  my  lap,  and  when  I  have 
three  loaves  of  bread  to  carry  home,  and  other 
sundries,  it  is  decidedly  inconvenient. 

Yesterday  there  were  some  important  letters 
to  be  posted,  so  I  got  up  early  and  started  at 
9  A.M.  on  a  bitterly  cold,  snowy  morning,  to 
take  them  to  the  village.  How  it  reminded  me 
of  starting  for  school  in  the  old  Colinton  days ! 
But  imagine  my  disgust  when  I  got  to  the  post 
office  to  be  told  that  since  last  week  the  time 
had  been  altered,  and  the  mail  now  was  de- 
spatched at  eight,  instead  of  at  ten  o'clock! 
When  I  complained  that  we  had  not  been 
informed,  I  was  told  that  it  had  been  in  '  all  the 
county  papers ' ;  but  we  had  never  even  heard 


20      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

of  a  county  paper,  far  less  seen  one.     Of  course, 
we  had  to  grin  and  bear  it. 


October  27. 

THE  weather  we  find  very  variable:  one 
day  it  is  fine  and  almost  warm,  and  the 
next  is  very  cold  with  a  little  snow.  I  feel 
very  well  and  strong,  and  can  take  long  walks 
without  being  tired ;  and  Louis  is  wonderfully 
well  for  him,  though  the  keen  wind  prevents 
him  from  getting  out  every  day.  But  every 
one  is  enthusiastic  about  the  climate  here  :  I 
went  one  day  to  visit  a  lady  who  has  been  here 
for  four  years,  and  she  says  she  delights. in  the 
winter,  and  is  just  longing  for  the  frost  to  set  in  ; 
the  air  is  delicious  then,  and  you  don't  feel  the 
cold  nearly  as  much  as  just  now.  She  told  me, 
also,  that  a  man  was  once  asked  to  take  over 
the  livery  stables  here,  to  which  he  replied, 
'  What,  go  to  Saranac,  where  the  sick  folk  ride 
out  in  all  weathers !  I  should  think  not,  it 's 
enough  to  kill  any  horse  ! ' 

You  call  your  house  the  *  Barracks ' ;  well, 
ours  is  the  '  Hunters'  Home,'  and  Louis  will 
not  allow  anything  to  be  done  that  interferes 
with  that  illusion.     We  have  in  the  living-room 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      21 

a  plain  deal  table  covered  with  stains  ;  I  wanted 
to  put  a  nice  cloth  on  it,  but  he  would  not  hear 
of  it.  'For  what,'  he  cries,  'have  hunters  to 
do  with  table-covers  ? '  There  is  not  a  foot- 
stool in  the  house,  and  the  draug^hts  alone  the 
floor  make  my  feet  very  cold ;  so  as  a  special 
favour  to  me,  a  log  of  wood  is  to  be  sawn  into 
suitable  pieces  to  serve  as  stools  and  still  be 
in  keeping  with  the  '  Hunters'  Home.'  There 
was  neither  a  teapot  nor  a  coffeepot  amongst 
the  furnishings,  as  we  believe  that  here  both  of 
these  beverages  are  usually  boiled  in  a  sauce- 
pan ;  but  we  did  not  mind  this,  as  we  had 
utensils  of  our  own  bought  for  use  on  the 
voyage.  What  we  did  suffer  from  was  the 
absence  of  a  single  egg-cup.  I  went  yesterday 
to  the  village  to  see  if  I  could  buy  any  at  the 
store;  no  such  thing  was  to  be  had,  and  the  man 
seemed  surprised  at  our  wanting  them.  He 
at  last  suggested  that  he  might  give  us  a  small 
jug  that  would  do,  and  presently  produced  one 
that  would  certainly  have  held  a  full  pint ! 
Lloyd  gravely  asked  if  he  could  also  supply 
eggs  that  would  fit  it.  .  .  .  This  morning  I 
bethought  myself  of  my  pointed  medicine-glass, 
but  alas  !  the  egg  was  lost  in  its  depths  ;  how- 


2  2      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

ever,  I  stuffed  the  bottom  of  it  with  paper,  and 
finally  ate  my  egg  in  triumph.  Nothing  gives 
me  more  pleasure  or  a  better  appetite  than 
an  obstacle  overcome,  and  these  incidents  of 
backwoods  life  are  quite  entertaining. 

I  must  give  you  some  account  of  how  we  pass 
our  days  here.  My  stove  is  lit  about  6.30  in 
the  morning,  and  warms  the  room  very  quickly, 
so  that  I  can  soon  sit  up  to  read  or  write. 
Louis  and  Lloyd  breakfast  rather  early  and 
work  until  lunch-time  ;  when  Lou  writes  in  the 
sitting-room,  I  keep  up  the  fire  in  my  stove 
and  stay  in  my  own  room,  which  is  very  bright 
and  cheery.  If  I  want  to  go  out  without  dis- 
turbing the  two  authors,  I  get  out  by  the 
window  ;  I  wish  you  could  see  the  performance, 
for  as  the  aperture  is  only  the  size  of  four  small 
panes  of  glass,  and  the  frame  is  held  up  by 
a  stick,  you  may  fancy  it  requires  careful 
engineering  to  get  through  it.  At  12.30  we  all 
meet  at  lunch,  and  work  is  pretty  well  over  for 
the  day  ;  at  two  the  buggy  arrives,  and  two  of 
us  go  for  a  drive.  Louis  always  takes  his  walks 
quite  alone,  and  hates  even  to  meet  any  one 
when  he  is  out ;  so  it  is  fortunate  that  we  are 
some  way  from  the  village,  and  that  there  is  a 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      23 

private  pine  -  wood  close  behind  the  house. 
When  he  comes  in  he  generally  goes  to  bed 
till  dinner-time,  at  six  o'clock.  After  dinner 
we  talk  and  read  aloud  and  play  at  cards  till 
ten,  when  we  are  all  ready  for  bed.  You  see 
it  is  a  long  day  for  Louis,  who  is  often  up  very 
early ;  and  that  he  is  able  for  it  proves  that  he 
is  keeping  wonderfully  well. 

November  n. 

WE  have  been  driving  with  a  pair  of 
ponies  lately,  or  rather  Lloyd  has  ;  it 
is  the  first  time  he  has  tried  it,  so  he  practises 
on  me.  I  think  one  of  the  uses  I  have  served 
in  the  world  is  to  have  experiments  tried  on 

me  ;  G did  it  in  my  youth  with  ether  and 

chloroform,  and  now  Lloyd  does  it  with  horses  ! 
We  have  several  times  been  nearly  upset,  but 
mercifully  have  always  escaped ;  he  really  drives 
well,  but  the  roads  are  so  bad  here  that  often 
we  must  just  'shut  our  eyes  and  trust  in  Provi- 
dence,' as  G used  to  do  in  the  hands  of 

John  Dick  going  down  the  hill  at  Colinton. 

This  morning  we  have  had  the  heaviest  fall 
of  snow  that  we  have  seen  yet,  and  everything 
is  white.     Louis  at  once  put  on  all  his  furs, 


24      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

buffalo  coat,  astrachan  cap,  and  Indian  boots, 
and  went  out  for  a  walk.  He  looks  very 
picturesque  in  these  garments,  and  how 
delightful  it  is  to  see  him  able  to  go  out  in 
such  weather !  We  have  much  sunshine,  and 
I  cannot  find  it  in  my  heart  to  wish  for  winter 
to  descend  finally  upon  us. 

November  19. 

THE  snow  still  continues,  but  it  is  not  yet 
deep  enough  for  good  sleighing,  though 
to-day  Fanny,  Louis,  and  Lloyd  are  off  to  try 
it.  It  is  the  day  we  are  supposed  to  receive 
visitors,  and  I  have  just  been  tidying  the  room 
so  far  as  I  can ;  I  think  I  must  describe  to  you 
the  decoration  of  our  mantelpiece.  At  each 
end  there  is  a  bright  red  tobacco-box,  and  as  a 
centre  ornament  there  is  a  whisky-bottle!  It 
was  a  neat  flat  shape,  and  the  only  thing  tall 
enough  to  suit  our  critical  eyes  as  a  centre- 
piece. .  .  . 

.  .  .  We  have  had  more  snow,  and  very 
severe  frost,  with  the  thermometer  down  to 
twenty-five  degrees  below  zero,  so  you  see 
we  were  fairly  off  on  one  of  '  Kane's  Arctic 
Voyages.'     Water  froze  in  our  rooms  with  the 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      25 

Stoves  kept  burning  all  night :  the  ink  froze  on 
the  table  beside  my  bed.  Louis  woke  one 
night  dreaming  that  a  rat  was  biting  his  ears, 
and  the  cause  was  a  slight  frost-bite ;  and 
Valentine  found  her  handkerchief,  under  her 
pillow,  frozen  into  a  ball  in  the  morning.  How 
would  you  like,  too,  to  have  your  kitchen  floor 
turned  Into  a  nice  shining  sheet  of  ice  the 
moment  you  had  washed  it — with  hot  water, 
mind — and  a  good  fire  in  the  room  ? 

Out  of  doors  it  was  impossible  to  touch 
metal  without  being  'burnt,'  and  Lloyd  only 
managed  to  drive  by  wearing,  first,  white  kid 
gloves,  second,  fur-lined  ones,  and  third,  on  the 
top  of  both,  a  pair  of  buff  leather  mittens.  I 
wonder  whether  the  '  'mometer '  will  play  any 
further  pranks,  and  whether  I  shall  have  any 
worse  experiences  in  this  line  to  tell  you.  I 
enjoy  their  novelty  ;  but  the  sunny  south  is  still 
my  ideal  climate,  though  I  must  confess  we  do 
not  feel  the  cold  severely  here,  so  long  as  it  is 
bright  and  still.  The  other  night  Louis  slept 
with  one  open  window,  and  in  the  morning  I 
dressed  with  two.  It  is  only  in  wind  that  the 
house  is  cold,  in  spite  of  all  the  windows  we 
have    stopped  up ;    and   there   are   few   days 


26      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

when  Louis  is  not  able  to  get  out,  and  to  enjoy 
it  besides.  He  was  busy  all  last  Sunday 
afternoon  arranging  the  words  'Come  unto  Me, 
all  ye  that  labour,'  etc.  to  an  air  of  Beethoven's, 
the  theme,  I  am  told,  of  'six  variations  faciles.' 
Louis  thinks  the  music  '  all  that  a  human  being 
can  conceive  in  the  way  of  consolation,'  but, 
alas !   I  feel  my  limitations,  for  to  me  it  says 

nothing  at  all.     (You  remember  T always 

said  I  could  only  distinguish  '  God  Save  the 
Queen'  from  'Jennie's  Bawbee,'  because  it 
was  so  much  slower.)  Louis  is  very  anxious 
to  have  his  setting  played  in  the  church  here, 

and   as    Mr.    D sees    no    objection,    the 

organist  is  to  come  up  to  try  it  over  first,  and 
we  are  looking  forward  to  it  with  interest. 
Our  life  here  is  made  up  of  small  interests,  and 
just  now,  while  Louis  and  I  are  left  to  ourselves, 
it  seems  oddly  like  the  old  days  at  Heriot  Row. 
Then,  when  *  Papa  dined  out,'  Lou  and  I  used 
to  indulge  in  dishes  we  were  not  allowed  at 
other  times, — particularly  rabbit-pie,  I  remem- 
ber— and  so  we  do  still.  I  sometimes  almost 
forget  that  my  baby  has  grown  up  ! 

Saranac  has  got  terribly  civilised  since  the 
railway  was  opened,  and  is  fast  losing  all  its 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      27 

pleasant  peculiarities.  The  sign-boards,  for 
instance  :  the  shoemaker  had  a  boot  cut  out  of 
thin  wood,  painted  black,  with  his  name  on  it 
in  yellow,  and  nailed  to  the  nearest  telegraph- 
post.  On  another  telegraph-post  was  a  square 
board  with  the  following  : — 


Warm  Meats 

Come  and  see  Me 

At  the  old  Post  Office 


I  grieve  to  say  this  has  already  been  removed, 
and  a  great  common-place,  '  Restaurant '  put 
up  instead. 

January  14. 

I  HAVE  a  wonderful  piece  of  news  for  you. 
Louis  has  got  a  pair  of  skates  and  has 
actually  been  out  skating  twice  on  the  pond  at 
the  back  of  our  house,  and  last  Sunday  he  went 
for  a  sleigh-ride  on  Saranac  Lake.  He  came 
back  delighted,  and  none  the  worse  of  it ;  and 
really  he  is  not  only  keeping  well,  but  is 
distinctly  a  little  fatter.     We  all  thought  it,  but 


28      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

did  not  like  to  trust  our  eyes  till  some  friends 
noticed  it  also. 

Yesterday  the  thermometer  never  rose  above 
zero  even  in  the  sun,  and  yet  Lloyd  and  I 
drove  ten  miles  and  enjoyed  it.  I  must, 
however,  tell  you  the  garments  I  wore.  I  had 
my  sealskin  jacket  under  my  fur-lined  cloak,  my 
tweed  cap,  with  knitted  ear-covers  added  under 
the  tweed  ones,  and  thick  knitted  veil,  and  my 
long  wool  wrap  twisted  round  and  round  over 
all.  Then  I  had  muffatees,  silk,  and  double 
woollen  mittens  on  top,  and  2.  muff! !  We  had 
each  a  hot  soap-stone  for  our  feet,  and  if  we  had 
only  had  the  small  ones  which  I  have  ordered 
(but  which  have  not  yet  arrived)  for  our  hands, 
I  think  we  would  have  been  very  complete. 
We  felt  exactly  as  if  we  were  travelling  in 
Siberia,  all  the  people  we  met  looked  so  like 
pictures  one  has  seen  of  life  there.  We  begin 
to  think,  now,  that  if  the  climate  is  like  this, 
the  exiles  may  have  a  better  time  than  we  used 
to  suppose.  For,  as  I  said  before,  we  really 
do  not  feel  the  cold  so  much  as  we  often  do 
at  home,  and  we  all  keep  well,  Louis  quite 
wonderfully  so.  Indeed  he  seems  to  feel  the 
cold  less  than  any  of  us,  and  he  skates  a  little 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      29 

every  day  and  enjoys  it,  which  is  a  capital  sign 
of  his  health. 

This  morning  ^'^  I  found  both  milk  and  water 
frozen  quite  hard  in  my  bedroom,  and  the 
thermometer  has  been  down  to  forty  degrees 
below  zero  during  the  night.  Hence  some 
further  experiences  from  '  Kane's  Voyages ' : 
Louis's  buffalo  coat  was  frozen  fast  to  the 
kitchen  door,  behind  which  it  hangs,  though 
the  fire  was  kept  alight  in  the  stove  all  through 
the  night.  Valentine's  floor  was  a  sheet  of  ice, 
and  the  edge  of  her  dress,  having  got  damp, 
was  frozen  hard  and  did  not  melt  all  day. 
When  she  was  making  soup  for  dinner,  there 
was  a  large  lump  of  ice  in  the  pot,  which  did 
not  seem  to  have  melted  at  all,  though  the 
water  about  it  was  steaming  and  bubbling  as  if 
on  the  point  of  boiling ;  and  the  cold  venison 
that  had  been  thawed  in  the  oven  for  a  whole 
hour  had  still  the  ice  crunching  in  it  when  it 
came  to  table !  Neither  Louis  nor  I  ventured 
out,  but  he  put  on  his  furs  and  '  played  Arctic 
voyages '  to  the  amusement  of  some  of  our 
visitors  who  declared  the  weather  was  de- 
lightful.    One  of  them  told   us  a  story  of  a 

*  January  21. 


30     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

Yankee  called  Bayard — a  not  uncommon  name 
here — who  boasted  that  he  was  descended  from 
the  Chevalier  sans  pere  et  sans  culottes  ! 

I  am  thinking  of  going  to  New  York  for  a 
few  days,  partly  to  bring  Fanny  home,  for 
thouo^h  better,  I  do  not  believe  she  is  well 
enough  to  travel  alone,  and  partly  for  a  little 
change.  Louis  is  so  well  that  he  really  will 
not  miss  me,  and  is  so  deep  in  his  writing  that 
he  often  quite  forgets  any  one's  presence. 

[In  the  interval  Mrs.  Stevenson  carried  out 
her  intention  of  going  to  New  York,  and  paid 
the  city  a  hurried  visit.  During  her  absence, 
the  line  to  Saranac  was  snowed  up,  and  the 
telegraphic  connection  broken  down  ;  as  soon 
as  the  rail  was  again  clear,  she  returned  in  the 
company  of  her  daughter-in-law.] 

February  5. 

HERE  we  are,  back  again  in  safety  at  the 
Hunter's  Home,  and  glad  to  find  Louis 
looking  well  in  spite  of  the  great  cold.  In  fact, 
when  we  arrived  we  heard  that  he  had  been 
paying  calls,  and  doing  all  sorts  of  wonderful 
things — even  dining  out ! — without  ill  effects  ; 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      31 

SO  you  can  realise  what  Saranac  has  done  for 
him.  Cold  as  it  is,  it  cannot  be  denied  that 
the  climate  seems  to  be  just  what  suits  him 
splendidly.  Our  journey  home  was  most 
comfortable  (considering  the  weather),  and 
the  railway  people  most  attentive.  In  Albany, 
where  we  stayed  a  night,  a  gentleman  con- 
nected with  the  line  took  me  a  drive  round  the 
town,  showed  me  the  Capitol,  the  Ice  Carnival 
then  in  progress,  etc.  etc.,  and  then  brought 
us  a  sleigh  and  pair  to  take  us  to  the  train, 
gave  us  complimentary  tickets  as  far  as  Platts- 
burg,  and  telegraphed  to  the  latter  place  to 
have  the  parlour  car  ready  for  us  to  go  on  to 
Saranac.  All  this,  remember,  not  at  all  for 
our  beaux  yeux,  but  for  the  sake  of  R.  L. 
Stevenson.  We  found  it  embarrassing  but 
pleasant,  and  were  amused  to  find  them  very 
busy  when  we  arrived  at  Plattsburg,  thawing 
out  the  parlour  car  for  our  sole  benefit.  You 
can  therefore  picture  us  arriving  at  Saranac  in 
state,  in  the  first  parlour  car  that  had  ever  been 
seen  there.  .  .  .  Of  course  Fanny  is  feeling 
the  fatigue  of  the  journey,  but  we  hope  that 
will  pass  off.  Unfortunately  we  had  barely 
got  home,  when   Valentine  broke  down,  and 


32      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

took  to  bed ;  it  is  vexing,  but  Louis  is  having 
a  fine  time  at  housework,  and  is  busy  expound- 
ing to  us  the  true  scientific  method  of  washing 
china  and  crystal.     I  only  wish  you  could  see 
him,  and  share  our  amusement !  .  .   .  Since  I 
wrote,  things  have  been  less  bright  with  us, 
and  we  are  all  in  a  more  or  less  broken  down 
condition.     Louis  has  had  a  touch  of  fever,  and 
was  coughing  badly,  though  this  the  doctor  has 
been  able  to  relieve  ;  still  we  have  been  rather 
anxious  about  him,  for  he  could  neither  eat  nor 
sleep.    The  doctor  has  now  put  him  on  koumiss, 
and  it  seems  to  be  doing  him  good  already ; 
indeed  in  these  two  days  he  has  improved  in  a 
wonderful  way.     In  the  midst  of  this  I  broke 
down,  and  had  to  go  off  to  bed.    I  think  the  truth 
is  we  all  did  too  much  while  Valentine  was  ill, 
and  we  are  feeling  the  effects  now.    Fortunately 
Fanny  is  better,  and  I  am  up  again,  though  I 
have  still  to  keep  to  the  house,  so  things  look 
less  gloomy.      We  have  another  girl  to  help 
Valentine  now,  moreover,  and  we  all  feel  quite 
cheerful  at  the  thought  of  being  able  to  go  to 
bed  with  an  easy  conscience  when  we  feel  so  in- 
clined. .  .  .  Very  cold  again,  and  the  thermo- 
meter down  to  forty-eight  degrees  below  zero ; 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      33 

eggs  frozen  hard,  and  the  milk  solid.  It  is 
rather  monotonous  having  constantly  to  thaw 
out  everything  we  use.  .  . 

I  have  just  been  reading  with  interest  your 
accounts  of  Moody  and  Sankey,  but  I  cannot 
bear  the  way  they  write  about  the  after-meet- 
ings. Dr.  Adam  Hunter  once  said  to  me,  '  I 
highly  disapprove  of  the  meddlesome  midwifery 
of  the  present  day ' ;  and  in  the  same  way  I 
cannot  help  thinking  there  is  too  much  meddling 
with  the  second  birth,  too  much  interference 
with  spiritual  modesty  and  reticence. 

February  26. 

I   AM  off  to  Boston  to-morrow  to  visit  the 
F s.      I   wished  to  decline,   but  the 

doctor  insisted  that  it  was  the  very  thing  to  set 
me  up  completely,  so  I  gave  in,  and  I  expect 
I  shall  enjoy  it  very  much.  I  shall  be  glad  of  a 
change,  too,  as  the  weather  here  has  been  very 
trying;  one  day  like  summer, with  blue  skies  and 
bright  sunshine,  and  the  thermometer  at  fifty- 
eight  degrees,  and  the  next  snowing  and  blow- 
ing as  hard  as  ever.  Strange  to  say,  it  seems  to 
do  us  little  harm,  and  Louis  is  very  much  better 
again,  and  beginning  to  be  able  for  a  little  work, 
c 


34      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

He  is  answerable  for  a  new  addition  to  our  circle, 
by  the  way,  a  large  black  and  white  puppy,  half 
Newfoundland  and  half  mongrel.  Lou  would 
buy  it  as  a  present  for  Fanny,  though  I  tried  to 
dissuade  him,  and  I  think  Fanny  would  have 
been  better  pleased  without  it.  The  creature 
is  a  good-natured  goose  of  a  thing,  that  will 
run  after  horses  and  bark  at  them,  till  the  village 
turns  out  and  pelts  him  with  bricks,  and  Lloyd 
won't  call  him  off  because  he  objects  to  acknow- 
ledging any  connection  with  him.  But  he  is 
Lou's  latest  fancy,  and  he  declares  that  there 
never  yet  was  a  Hunter's  Home  without  a  dog 
in  it. 

Boston^  March  3. 

I  RE  ACHED  this  pleasant  house  on  Tues- 
day evening,  and  have  settled  down  to  feel 
myself  very  much  at  home.  The  whole  family  is 
so  nice,  and  it  is  so  long  since  I  lived  in  the 
midst  of  a  large  family,  that  I  had  almost  for- 
gotten what  a  pleasant  thing  it  was.  ...  It  is 
certainly  a  delightful  town  to  visit,  and  the 
neighbourhood  is  very  pretty  ;  we  get  at  once 
into  the  country  quite  close  to  this  house,  with 
large  residences  (not  suburbs)  scattered  about. 
The  sun  has  melted  nearly  all  the  snow,  and  it 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      35 

was  delightful  to  see  green  grass  after  nothing 
but  snow  for  more  than  three  months  :  I  imagine 
that  in  later  spring  the  gardens  about  here  must 
be  very  lovely. 

Mrs.  F took  me  to  a  meeting  which  she 

said  was  typical  of  Boston  society  :  it  was  on 
behalf  of  the  American  School  at  Athens  where 
students  are  sent  to  study  Greek  art.  It  was 
held  in  a  private  drawing-room,  and  attended 
by  all  the  leading  people ;  Lowell,  the  poet,  was 
in  the  chair.  When  it  was  over,  I  was  intro- 
duced to  him  and  to  Mr,   B ,  said  to  be 

the  most  popular  minister  in  Boston,  and  to 
many  others,  who  all  said  nice  things  about  my 
boy.     In  fact  they  are  much  too  kind  to  me,  on 

his  account,  and  I  tell   Mrs.  F I  must  just 

save  myself  by  flight.  In  the  afternoon  we 
drove  out  to  Cambridge,  to  see  the  University. 
The  Greek  Professor  took  us  over  the  Library, 
the  Memorial  Hall,  the  Dining  Hall,  and  the 
Gymnasium,  and  then  took  us  to  his  house  for 
tea;  where  to  our  surprise  we  found  quite  a 
number  of  people  collected.  I  was  introduced 
to  Longfellow's  daughter,  and  his  brother,  who 
wrote  his  life ;  and  to  Professor  James,  who 
talked  much  to  me  of  Lou,  and  told  me  that  he 


36      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

was  planning-  a  letter  to  his  '  beloved  Robert 
Louis  Stevenson.'  I  was  much  provoked  after- 
wards to  find  that  he  was  the  brother  of  Henry 
James,  and  I  had  not  known  it.  .  .  .  On 
Wednesday  we  went  to  see  Laura  Bridgeman, 
and  I  was  greatly  interested.  She  was  fifty- 
eight  last  December,  when  she  had  a  jubilee  to 
celebrate  her  fiftieth  birthday  in  the  Asylum, 
and  had  fifty  presents  given  to  her ;  somehow, 
I  expected  to  find  her  much  older.  She  is 
small,  and  very  thin  and  nervous,  quivering  all 
over  when  moved  or  excited  ;  she  likes  visitors, 
and  has  a  wonderful  kind  of  palmistry  of  her 
own,  which  no  one  can  explain.  We  were  told  of 
three  recent  instances  :  the  first  was  a  man,  who 
was  almost  imbecile,  but  had  been  so  carefully 
trained,  that  he  could  pass  in  a  crowd.  He 
came  to  see  Laura,  and  when  she  touched 
his  hand  she  dropped  it  as  if  it  had  been  a  frog, 
and  said,  '  Is  he  difoolV  The  second  case  was 
a  lady,  who  edited  a  magazine.  Of  her  Laura 
said,  '  Her  hand  is  as  hot  as  fire ;  does  she 
write  poetry  }'  No.  3  was  a  gentleman  whose 
name  was  not  mentioned ;  Laura  drew  back 
from  him  and  asked,  '  Is  he  kind  to  his  family .? ' 
By  common  knowledge,  he  was  7iot,  .  .  . 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      37 

So  much  for  Boston,  of  which  I  have  brought 
away  very  pleasant  memories,  and  a  huge 
fatigue  after  so  much  dissipation  ;  in  fact,  I 
was  nearly  killed  with  kindness.  To  be  inter- 
viewed from  morning  to  night  as  the  mother  of 
Robert  Louis  Stevenson  is  no  joke,  I  assure 
you,  however  great  an  honour  it  may  be ! 

Saranac,  March  11. 

I  GOT  back  here  on  Friday,  very  much  worn 
out,  and  much  as  I  had  enjoyed  my  visit, 
very  happy  to  return  home  and  find  Louis  really 
getting  quite  fat  on  his  koumiss,  and  remarkably 
well.  But  when  a  few  hours  had  elapsed,  I 
had  good  cause  to  feel  even  more  thankful  to 
find  myself  safe  at  home  ;  for  we  have  just  had 
the  worst  snowstorm  of  the  season,  and  our 
house  was  nearly  buried  in  lovely  snowdrifts. 
They  looked  so  pure  and  so  exquisite,  when 
seen  through  the  window,  that  I  longed  to  dive 
into  their  downy  softness,  but  refrained ;  I 
suspect  it  was  a  case  in  which  distance  lent 
enchantment  to  the  view.  All  the  railroad  lines 
were  blocked  up,  telegraphic  and  telephonic 
communication  stopped,  and  we  were  for  three 
days  completely  shut  off  from  the  outer  world ; 


38      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

but  this  is  the  first  time  that  Saranac  has  been 
so  entirely  isolated,  and  even  this  time  we  really 
suffered  on  the  whole  less  than  in  most  parts, 
and  save  when  the  snow  was  falling  there  has 
been  a  good  deal  of  sunshine  and  not  much 
severe  cold.  Imagine  how  thankful  I  am,  how- 
ever, to  have  been  snowed  in,  and  not  out  of, 
the  '  Hunter's  Home ' ! 

At  present  I  am  in  quarantine,  as  I  have  had 
a  threatening  of  cold  ever  since  my  return,  and 
the  last  two  days  have  developed  a  slight  sore 
throat.  So  I  am  not  allowed  to  be  in  the  same 
room  with  Louis :  when  he  comes  out  of  his 
room,  /  vanish  into  mine,  and  we  are  exactly 
like  the  little  gentleman  and  lady  in  the  'weather 
boxes.'  I  think  I  am  the  bad  weather  one, 
as  Louis  needs  sunshine  to  tempt  him  out,  and 
a  little  less  snow. 

After  Fanny  starts  for  California,  which 
will  be  as  soon  as  she  is  able  for  it,  Louis  and 
Lloyd  and  I  mean  to  pack  up  and  go  off  for  a 
change,  perhaps  to  Washington,  which  is  said 
to  be  pleasant  in  April.  But  we  are  much 
exercised  in  our  minds  as  to  what  we  should 
do  after  that :  many  people  tell  us  that  Louis 
ought  to  come  back  here  for  the  summer  and 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      39 

camp  out  in  the  woods,  a  life  that  is  said  to 
be  wonderful  for  the  health.  Sometimes  I  feel 
that  after  coming  so  far  we  ought  to  stay  long 
enouofh  to  gret  the  full  benefit,  and  sometimes  I 
weary  to  get  home.  I  only  trust  that  in  the 
end  we  may  do  what  is  best. 

March  31. 

FANNY  left  us  on  Monday  for  California, 
and  after  a  week  full  of  literary  visitors 
we  felt  very  quiet.  The  weather,  too,  has  been 
plunging  from  winter  to  summer  and  back 
again ;  Fanny  started  in  midwinter  and  I  was 
still  confined  to  the  house ;  Tuesday  was  lovely 
and  quite  warm,  with  the  thermometer  at 
seventy  degrees  in  the  shade  and  deliciously 
dry  air,  though  the  melting  snow  was  running 
in  rivers  everywhere.  Louis  had  two  walks 
and  a  drive,  and  looked  delightfully  well ;  and 
I  sat  out  in  the  verandah,  reading,  for  two 
hours,  and  my  only  complaint  was  that  the  sun 
was  rather  hot !  Wednesday  was  still  mild,  but 
duller ;  and  on  Thursday  the  world  was  as 
snow-white  as  in  midwinter  again !  I  notice, 
however,  that  the  snow  is  much  moister  than 
before,  and  I  fancy  we  have  done  with  sleighing 


40      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

for  the  season.  We  are  back  to  buckboards, 
but  the  roads  are  in  a  fearful  state  with  great 
chunks  of  half-melted  ice,  so  that  driving  is 
scarcely  a  pleasure. 

I  wonder  what  you  will  think  of  Louis's 
sermon  in  the  April  Scribner  ?  I  was  horribly 
depressed  when  he  first  read  it  to  us,  and  told 
him  I  could  not  bear  to  be  reduced  to  the  level 
of  a  mite  in  a  cheese,  .  .  .  neither  can  I  ac- 
knowledge that  we  are  such  hideous  creatures 
as  he  describes.  Still  I  think  it  is  a  grand 
idea  that  the  whole  creation  is  striving  after 
the  fulfilment  of  an  idea  of  duty,  and  not  to  be 
deterred  by  any  number  of  failures.  Here  is 
another  opinion  on  the  subject :  'R.  H.  Stoddart 
asserts  that  R.  L.  Stevenson's  essay  entitled 
Pulvis  et  Umbra  in  the  current  number  of 
Scribner  s  is  inhuman,  brutal,  and  devilish. 
Ho,  ho! '  We  do  not  know  whether  the  'ho, 
ho '  is  meant  for  Stoddart  or  Stevenson !  .  .  . 
The  sensation  of  the  week  has  been  a  visit 
from  Bandmann  the  actor.  He  is  an  Austrian 
and  a  charming  old  man,  has  been  thrice  round 
the  world,  and  thinks  the  Scotch  are  the  finest 
people  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  Moreover 
that    opinion    was   not  invented  to  please  us 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      41 

(which  it  did)  as  you  will  find  it  in  his  book  of 
travels !  I  declare  that  he  is  the  most  pious 
visitor  we  have  had  yet,  as  he  was  the  only 
one  who  ever  said  *  Amen '  to  Louis's 
grace  .  .  .  He  has  a  ranche  in  the  Rocky 
mountains  where  he  has  droves  of  cattle  and 
fifteen  cowboys,  and  he  has  invited  us  all  to  go 
and  stay  with  him  for  a  year,  and  promised  us 
plenty  of  horses  to  ride  upon.  He  came  upon 
Jekyll  and  Hyde  by  accident  when  he  was 
travelling,  and  saw  at  once  that  there  was  a 
good  play  to  be  made  from  it.  He  scouts  the 
idea  that  only  one  man  should  have  the  chance 
of  playing  it. 

.  .  .  It  is  odd  that  now,  the  beginning  of 
April,  we  feel  the  cold  much  more  than  we  did 
in  midwinter.  We  have  had  many  showers 
of  snow,  interspersed  with  thaws,  and  there  is 
a  generally  dirty  look  everywhere ;  last  night 
it  froze  again,  the  thermometer  was  down  to 
six  degrees  above  zero,  and  to-day  it  has  never 
been  higher  than  twenty  degrees ;  and  that  is 
really  too  much  of  a  good  thing  on  the  seventh 
of  April.  Louis  has  been  a  good  deal  in  bed 
this  week,  as  much  to  keep  himself  warm  as 
for  any  more  serious  reason ;  he  cannot  write 


42      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

in  this  weather,  and  yet  he  wants  to  finish 
some  work  before  we  start  on  our  travels. 
The  doctor  is  anxious  he  should  return  here  in 
July  and  camp  out  in  the  woods ;  if  we  do  this 
we  may  go  to  some  seaside  place  for  May  and 
June,  during  which  months  the  woods  are  full 
of  '  black  fly,'  a  worse  plague  here  than  the 
mosquito. 

Alba?iy,  April  15. 

LOUIS  and  I  left  Saranac  suddenly  on 
Friday.  Louis  had  been  wearying  for 
a  change,  and  we  had  proposed  to  start  on  our 
travels  to-morrow ;  Lloyd  was  in  quarantine 
with  a  cold,  I  was  low  and  out  of  sorts,  and 
the  weather  simply  detestable,  rain  and  sun 
by  turns  and  the  thermometer  rushing  about 
between  forty  and  fifty  degrees.  When  on 
Friday  morning  we  found  that  Valentine  and 
the  other  girl  had  both  colds,  the  fox  and  goat 
and  cabbage  problem  became  so  acute,  that 
there  was  nothing  for  it  but  flight.  This  was 
decided  at  9.30;  and  by  12.30  I  had  finished 
packing  and  eaten  dinner,  and  we  started.  Poor 
Lou  was  driven  about  from  room  to  room  all 
that  time,  avoiding  the  infecteds.     He  is  looking 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      43 

wonderfully  well,  and  fatter  than  he  has  done 
for  long,  so  we  have  much  reason  to  be  thankful 
for  what  Saranac  has  done  for  us. — It  certainly 
is  a  wonderful  place.  .  .  . 

New  York.,  April  29, 

THE  heat  has  come  suddenly  and  every- 
thing is  bursting  out  with  a  rush. 
Yesterday  I  saw  a  magnolia  in  full  bloom.  I 
think  I  have  never  so  appreciated  spring  as 
after  this  long  and  Arctic  winter. 

.  .  .  Louis  was  very  tired  when  we  came  here, 
and  I  was  anxious  about  him  ;  but  he  has  quite 
got  over  it  and  is  remarkably  well,  out  twice 
a  day,  and  walking  (he  says)  sometimes  as  much 

as  nearly  three  miles.     Dr  C who  attended 

him  at  Newport  last  September,  came  to  see 
him  last  night,  and  was  delighted  with  the 
improvement  in  him  ;  says  that  if  he  stays  three 
years  in  such  a  climate  as  Saranac,  he  will  be 

a  strong  man.     That  is  what  G said  too  ; 

but  surely  we  shall  get  home  next  year,  at  all 
events.  Sometimes  I  am  very  homesick  for  my 
'  ain  grey  toun,'  and  don't  feel  as  if  I  could  stay 
away  much  longer.  .  .  .  We  have  kept  clear  of 
reporters,   so  far,  and  only  few  people  know. 


44      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

officially,  that  we  are  here.  But  we  are  kept 
supplied  with  lovely  flowers  by  Lou's  admirers  : 

Mrs.  Van  R sent  roses  of  all  shades  and 

exquisite   heliotrope,    Miss    C a    basket 

of  white   lilac,    Mr.    B roses   again   and 

mignonette,  and  Mr.  Mansfield  (who  plays 
Jekyll  and  Hyde)  brought  a  hamper  full  of 
violets  and  lily-of-the-valley  and  dark  roses. 

I   have  tried  to  refuse  invitations  so  far  as 
I   can,  but  it  is    difficult,  people  are  so  kind. 

Mr.  I is  coming  this  morning  to  take  me 

to  church  ;   he  is  a  bit  of  a  character,  and  often 

reminds  me  of  George  F in  the  old  days, 

when  he  used  to  take  a  bite  out  of  seven  biscuits 
all  at  once,  to  make  sure  that  they  should  not  be 
taken  away  from  him.     The  last  time  I  went  to 

church  with  Mr.  I we  were  put  into  a  seat 

where  there  were  no  books.  I  whispered,  *  I 
have  no  hymn-book '  ;  to  which  he  calmly 
replied,  '  Never  mind,  I  've  got  Emerson's 
poems  in  my  pocket.'  I  said  to  him  that  I 
would  not  go  to  church  with  him  again  unless 
he  behaved  better  :  so  he  told  Louis,  '  I  must 
get  your  mother  to  go  with  me  once  more,  if 
only  to  put  me  on  a  solid  basis.'  .  .  .  Well,  this 
time  the  sermon,  which  was  really  a  lecture  on 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     45 

the  poems  of  Matthew  Arnold,  wound  up  with 
something  Hke  this  :  '  If  you  think  Christ  was 
only  a  man,  go  and  be  a  man  like  Him.'     I 

told  Mr.  I that  he  might  take  that  for  his 

solid  basis.  .  .  . 

Louis  is  beginning,  however,  to  find  all  this 
rather  too  much  for  him,  and  we  hope  to  go  out 
of  town  to-morrow.  We  are  bound  first  for 
a  place  on  the  New  Jersey  coast  called  Manas- 
quan  ;  beyond  that  we  have  no  settled  plans 
whatever.  If  Fanny  can  find  us  a  yacht  in 
San  Francisco,  we  may  go  and  sail  about  the 
Pacific  next  winter  ;  but  it  is  all  a  peradventure 
at  present,  and  our  motto  at  present  is  '  Suffi- 
cient to  the  day  is '  no,  I  won't  say  '  the 

^z/z7  thereof.'     You  can  finish  it  as  you  like. 

Manasquan,  May  6. 

WE  came  here  on  Wednesday  and  were 
all  glad  to  get  into  the  peace  and  quiet 
of  the  country.  The  N.  J.  coast  is  very  like 
Holland,  low  and  flat,  and  broken  up  by  creeks 
into  which  the  sea  runs,  while  a  long  spit  of 
land  lies  outside  between  us  and  the  ocean.  I 
should  prefer  to  be  beside  the  real  breaking 
waves,  but  the  sheltered  cliffs  are  much  safer  for 


46      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

boating  ;  and  as  Lloyd  has  hired  a  boat,  and  he 
and  Louis  are  constantly  out  in  it,  I  am  glad  of 
the  safety.  We  are  very  comfortable  and  quite 
primitive  here,  as  it  is  out  of  the  season  and  we 
have  the  '  hotel '  to  ourselves  :  by  and  by  there 
will  be  eighty  guests  in  the  house,  and  we 
should  not  desire  to  be  among  them !  .  .  . 

I  am  interested  in  the  incubator,  and  weary  to 
hear  how  the  chickens  get  on.  That  puts  me 
in  mind  of  a  book  of  (burlesque)  fables  Mr. 

I lent  us,  and  I  must  tell  you  one:    'An 

Elephant  one  Day  inadvertently  put  her  Foot  on 
a  Partridge  and  killed  it.  Near  by  she  found 
the  nest  with  the  callow  Brood,  upon  which  she 
said,  "  Poor  Things  !  I  am  so  sorry  for  you, 
being  a  Mother  myself!  "  and  immediately  sat 
down  on  the  top  of  them.  Moral. — Thus  we  see 
how  sad  it  is  to  lose  a  Mother,  and  that  it  is 
not  every  one  who  can  run  an  Orphan  Asylum.' 
I  hope  that  Chloe  may  prove  a  better  step- 
mother than  the  elephant.  .  .  . 

I  can  still  tell  you  nothing  definite  about  our 
plans.  We  have  not  heard  anything  from 
Fanny,  save  that  she  is  busy  making  inquiries ; 
but  I  suppose  we  must  settle  soon  where  we  are 
at  least  to  spend  the  summer. 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      47 

Mafiasquan,  May  12. 

THIS    great   and   sudden    change   in   our 
plans    has  so   far  upset  me  that  I  can 

scarcely  write   at  all,     G will  have  told 

you,  of  course,  that  we  have  got  a  yacht,  and 
are  to  sail  from  San  Francisco  on  the  15th 
June  for  a  seven  months'  cruise  in  the  South 
Seas.  It  seems  almost  too  good  to  be  true  ; 
and  for  Louis's  sake  I  can't  but  be  glad,  for  his 
heart  has  so  long  been  set  upon  it,  and  it  must 
surely  be  good  for  his  health  to  have  such  a 
desire  granted,  so,  just  as  I  went  to  Saranac  in 
fear  and  trembling  for  the  winter,  I  now  go  to 
meet  the  southern  summer  ...  if  it  only  suits 
Louis  as  well  as  Saranac  did,  we  shall  have 
every  reason  to  be  thankful. 

I  think  I  may  promise  to  be  home  next 
summer  at  the  latest,  as  I  shall  want  new 
clothes  by  then,  and  I  believe  I  could  pay  my 
expenses  out  of  the  difference  in  price  there 
and  here ! 

May  25. 

THE  other  day  we  had  a  beautiful  drive  to 
a  place  called  Allaire,  some  eight  miles 
away.     The  woods  and  orchards  on  the  way 


48      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

were  full  of  bloom  and  young  foliage  ;  and  I  was 
particularly  struck  with  the  numerous  shades 
of  pink  and  crimson  among  the  opening  leaves. 
Some  of  the  trees  looked,  till  we  came  quite 
near,  as  if  they  were  covered  with  rosy  fruit. 
The  place  itself  was  built  by  an   Englishman 
some  sixty  years  ago  as  an  iron-foundry,  and 
there   are  all   the   necessary  buildings,   many 
cottages,  and  a  church,  scattered  over  a  beauti- 
ful meadow  with  the  Manasquan  river  running 
through  it ;  but  the  foundry  did  not  pay,  and 
all  has  been  allowed  to  fall  into  ruin  and  decay. 
It  is  extremely  picturesque  and  much  valued 
in  this  country  of  modern  things,  where  ruins  of 
any  sort  are  few  and  far  between  ;  I  believe  it  is 
carefully  kept  up  and  cultivated  with  an  artistic 
neglect  for  the  benefit   of  picnic  parties  and 
sketches.     Next  day  we  made  another  expedi- 
tion, and  went  crabbing.     A  small  boy  about 
twelve  rowed  us  to  a  spot  under  a  bridge,  where 
we  cast  anchor ;   then  we  each  firmly  tied  a 
lump  of  raw  meat  about  the  size  of  a  break- 
fast roll  to  the  end  of  a  piece  of  stout  twine,  and 
let  the  ball  down  into  the  water  till  it  touched 
the  ground,  holding  the  twine  tight  enough  to 
feel  any  movement.     I  never  imagined  I  should 


;■.,.,     ,1    1     I  ~  •,  i.i   1  I    .     I.  \l.l'-  II.  Iv,      \  I      I  III      AGE    OK    15 
I'yom  i!  fiaintim;  in  the  /•I'sst'ssion  0/  Mrs.   y.  c'rafi,'-  Ral/otn 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     49 

catch  anything,  but  I  did  :  as  soon  as  there  is 
a  tug  you  pull  up  the  line,  and  crab  and  meat 
appear  together.  It  was  rather  entertaining 
and  we  got  a  great  many,  but  they  were  all 
small,  unfortunately  ;  sometimes  very  large 
ones  fasten  on  to  the  meat,  and  these  require 
a  certain  amount  of  skilful  management. 

This  week  the  weather  has  turned  damp 
and  raw,  and  Louis  has  a  threatening  of  cold ; 
it  will  be  too  dreadful  if  this  orets  worse  now 

o 

that  I  have  just  made  all  the  arrangements  for 
starting  for  San  Francisco  on  Thursday.  We 
are  to  have  a  compartment  all  to  ourselves,  and, 
if  possible,  we  shall  travel  straight  through  ; 
of  course  it  is  a  trying  journey,  but  it  will  take 
us,  we  hope,  into  a  far  better  and  more  equable 
climate  than  is  to  be  found  anywhere  on  this 
side. 

Nezu  York,  June  i . 

FORTUNATELY  Louis  threw  off  the 
cold,  as  he  has  done  ever  since  we  wenvt 
to  Saranac,  in  a  wonderful  way  :  the  sore  throat 
and  fever  disappeared^  and  there  has  been  no 
haemorrhage.  The  doctor  says  the  v/ay  he 
has    picked    up    from    it    shows    a    wonderful 

D 


50     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

improvement  since  last  autumn,  when  he 
attended  him  just  after  our  arrival ;  and 
he  is  strongly  in  favour,  too,  of  this  Pacific 
cruise,  and  laughs  at  my  dread  of  summer  in 
the  tropics,  assuring  us  that  it  is  much  less 
trying  than  here.  So  I  am  much  heartened 
up,  and  the  closeness  of  the  weather  in  New 
York  makes  us  all  look  forward  to  our  start 
to-morrow  morning.  One  little  story  before  I 
stop  :  Wednesday  was  '  Decoration  Day  '  here, 
and  I  had  a  very  good  view  of  the  march  past 
of  the  veterans  of  the  war  from  the  window  of 
the  publishing  office  of  a  magazine  whither  Mr. 

I took   me.      He  said  he  would  have  to 

introduce  me  to  the  editor,  but  that  once  it 
was  found  out  who  I  was,  there  would  be  no 
more  peace  for  Louis,  so  would  I  object  to 
being  introduced  as  'Mrs.  Macpherson'  from 
Glasgow.  I  replied  that  I  could  not  stand 
that ;  but  if  he  would  just  say  my  name  with- 
out emphasising  the  '  son '  at  the  end,  he 
would  find  that  I  should  be  accepted  as  *  Mrs. 
Stevens';  'and  of  course,'  I  added,  ''here  I  am 
nothing  without  my  son'  My  little  plan,  I 
may  tell  you,  worked  admirably.  .  .  .  Don't 
talk  of  difficulties  about  servants  :  you  should 


FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     51 

come  out  here  to  learn  gratitude  for  our  home 
comforts.  Lem,  the  waiter  at  Manasquan,  was 
a  treasure  in  his  way  ;  scrubbed  floors,  cooked 
(and  very  well  too),  and  did  the  washing  and 
ironing.  I  did  not  wonder,  when  I  knew  that 
he  did  all  this,  that  he  had  no  time  to  pull  his 
sleeves  down,  or  to  do  what  our  maids  call 
'tidy'  himself;  but  this  is  how  he  addressed 

Mrs.  L :    'Just  you  sit  down,   my  pretty 

little  dear,  and  don't  make  a  fuss ! '  People 
here  talk  of  the  pauper  labour  of  the  old  country, 
but  we  often  wish  we  could  get  some  of  it, 
and  dont  we  long  for  a  shilling  drive  in  a  cab ! 

San  Francisco,  June  g. 

HERE  we  are  all  safe  after  our  long 
journey.  1 1  was  very  tiring,  and  we  have 
not  yet  got  over  the  effects  ;  but  though  Louis 
gave  us  some  frights  on  the  way,  and  several 
times  we  thought  we  should  have  to  stop,  it 
always  ended  well.  We  were  very  comfortable 
indeed  as  far  as  Chicago,  where  we  had  to  wait 
eight  hours ;  after  that  it  was  not  quite  so 
luxurious,  and  the  accommodation  was  very 
limited.  However  we  consoled  ourselves  by 
thinking  it  excellent  preparation  for  the  yacht. 


52     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

While  crossing  the  Rockies,  we  rose  to  an 
elevation  of  seven  thousand  and  ten  thousand 
feet,  but  neither  Louis  nor  I  were  affected  by 
it.  Valentine,  however,  complained  of  some 
difficulty  in  breathing,  and  her  nose  bled.  Later 
on,  we  were  all  somewhat  upset,  and  had  slight 
haemorrhage :  it  is  supposed  to  be  the  effect 
of  crossing  the  Alkali  Plains,  in  the  region  of 
Salt  Lake,  and  is  rather  distressing.  Valentine 
was  the  worst,  and  I  was  the  least  affected  by 
it ;  Louis  came  between  in  degree,  but  of 
course  in  his  case  it  was  a  much  more  serious 
matter,  and  gave  us  some  cause  for  alarm. 
However,  he  was  promptly  sent  to  bed  on  our 
arrival,  and  will  be  kept  there  for  some  days,  so 
the  complete  rest  may  put  him  right  again. 

We  were  met  at  Sacramento  by  Fanny,  who 
was  looking  so  pretty  in  a  new  hat,  that  we 
were  grieved  to  find  out  afterwards  that  it 
belonged  to  her  daughter.  Louis  at  first 
thought  of  staying  there  to  escape  the  reporters  ; 
but  as  there  is  far  greater  comfort  to  be  found 
here,  we  came  straight  on,  and  I  am  very  glad 
we  did  so. 

We  have  been  very  busy  ever  since  our 
arrival,  ordering  clothes,  etc.,  for  the  yacht  and 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     53 

the  hot  weather.  These  last  consist  of 
chemises  with  a  flounce  round  the  lower  edge, 
and  a  kolaktc  or  loose  sacque  worn  over  it.  I 
am  getting  some  of  black  and  white  lawn,  and 
others  of  muslin  ;  I  think  it  will  be  comfortable 
and  cool,  but  I  feel  we — at  least  I — shall  be 
queer-looking  customers  in  them  ! 

As  to  letters,  don't  *  take  on  '  so  much  about 
not  getting  them  regularly  ;  don't  you  remember 
in  the  old  days  at  Colinton,  what  excitement 
there  used  to  be  over  a  '  ship  letter '  from  John. 
I  shall  be  going  on  daily  with  a  sort  of  journal 
for  you,  and  shall  post  it  as  I  get  a  chance  ;  so 
you  may  live  in  a  constant  state  of  expectation, 
which  Dr.  Macleod  says  is  the  proper  Christian 
attitude,  .  .  . 

.  .  .  P.S.  \  must  add  that  we  have  just  got 
very  nice  letters  of  introduction  to  King  Kala- 
kaua  of  Hawaii,  where  we  hope  to  call  in  the 
yacht ;  and  in  them,  to  my  amazement,  there 
is  special  mention  o^  me,  and  my  very  pedigree 
given !  .  .  .   But  our  plans  are  still  somewhat 

uncertain,  as  Louis  has  not  yet  seen  Dr.  M , 

the  owner  of  the  Casco ;  and  until  he  does,  I 
can  tell  you  nothing  definite.  .  .  . 


54     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

June  14. 

LOUIS  is  better,  and  things  are  so  far  settled 
-/  that  we  hope  to  get  him  on  board  the 
yacht  to-morrow,  as  the  air  in  the  bay  is  cooler 
and  purer  than  on  land.  There  is  no  prospect 
of  our  starting,  however,  for  some  days  yet ;  we 
have  still  to  order  in  our  stores  for  the  cruise, 
and  to  get  coals  in,  and  to  try  and  remember 
some  at  least  of  the   many   things   we   shall 

want  during  the  long  voyage.     Dr.  M has 

just  been  here  to  settle  the  final  business 
arrangements.  He  had  heard  that  Louis  had 
a  mother,  and  was  not  at  all  sure  of  allowing 
an  old  woman  to  sail  on  his  beloved  yacht,  so 
he  insisted  on  seeing  me  before  he  left.  When 
I  came  in  I  found  a  very  stout  man,  with  a 
strong  and  humorous  face,  who  sat  still  in  his 
chair  and  took  a  good  look  at  me.  Then  he 
held  out  his  hand,  with  the  remark,  *  You  're 
a  healthy-looking  woman ! ' — so  I  am  to  be 
allowed  on  board,  as  he  thinks  I  am  good  for 
a  seven  months'  trip.  He  built  the  yacht,  he 
told  us,  for  his  health,  as  he  was  getting  so 
stout  that  some  means  of  reduction  were  neces- 
sary ;  and  going  to  sea  has  pulled  him  down 


FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     55 

sixty  pounds  in  weight.  I  said,  '  But  we  don't 
want  it  to  have  that  effect  on  Mr.  Stevenson, 
or  there  would  be  nothing  left  of  him  ! '  How- 
ever, he  assured  us  it  would  have  quite  the 
opposite  effect  on  Louis  ;  and  turning  to  Fanny, 
he  added,  '  The  yacht  is  the  apple  of  my  eye, — 
you  may  think  your  husband  loves  you,  but  I 
can  assure  you  that  I  love  my  yacht  a  great 
deal  better,  and  I  am  just  afraid  that  you  will 
run  away  with  her  and  never  bring  her  back. 
Remember,  if  you  do,  I  '11  be  after  you  with  a 
revenue  cutter,  and  when  I  catch  you  .  .  .   ! ' 

You  would  like  this  place,  fruit  and  vegetables 
are  so  plentiful  and  cheap.  You  can  get  an 
immense  basket  of  peaches  for  a  shilling,  but 
though  they  are  very  good,  I  have  tasted  them 
with  a  finer  flavour  at  home.  Fanny  tells  me, 
however,  that  these  are  only  the  *  valley ' 
peaches,  and  the  finer  ones,  the  '  strawberry ' 
peaches,  come  a  little  later. 

I  have  been  a  good  deal  about  San  Francisco, 
but  have  not  had  time  to  go  far  afield.  One 
day  I  visited  '  China-town,'  and  found  it  very 
curious  and  interesting ;  unfortunately  our 
guide  spoke  so  little  English  that  he  could 
not  explain  things  to  us.     He  took  us  into  two 


56     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

temples,  very  dark  and  quiet,  and  full  of  beauti- 
ful carvings  and  embroideries.  We  were  enter- 
tained to  a  real  Chinese  tea  in  a  room  adjoining 
one  of  the  temples,  and  they  would  take  no 
payment  for  it.  We  also  saw  a  table  set  for  a 
large  dinner  at  a  Chinese  restaurant :  it  looked 
exactly  as  if  intended  for  a  dolls'  party,  with 
several  tiny  plates  to  each  guest,  one  with  a 
spoonful  of  sauce  in  it,  another  with  a  morsel 
of  ginger,  etc.  We  did  not  know  what  most 
of  the  things  were.  Even  the  fruit  was  on  the 
same  scale,  and  we  could  not  persuade  ourselves 
that  it  was  intended  for  human  beings,  and  not 
for  dolls.  ...  I  quite  liked  the  look  of  the 
Chinese  that  I  saw,  and  they  are  capital  workers. 
One,  'Yee  Lee,'  has  made  our  hot  weather 
garments  beautifully,  though  he  scarcely  took 
any  measurements,  and  I  was  sure  they  would 
be  all  wrong.  But  they  have  no  idea  of  not 
crushing  things,  and  my  nice  muslin  holakus 
were  brought  home  rolled  into  a  wisp,  with  a 
string  wound  tightly  round  them. 

We  have  been  on  board  the  Casco,  and  are 
charmed  with  her,  but  I  shall  wait  to  describe 
her  till  we  have  started  on  our  journey.  Louis 
could  not  fix  on  our  route  till  he  had  talked  it 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     57 

over  with  the  captain ;  but  he  has  now  given 
up  the  Galapagos  Islands,  as  to  go  thither 
would  keep  us  too  long  near  the  Equator,  and 
we  are  to  go  first  to  the  Marquesas,  and  after- 
wards to  Tahiti — and  where  else  I  am  not  sure. 
As  the  Casco  is  an  American  yacht,  we  must 
hoist  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  but  we  shall  fly 
the  Union  Jack  as  well,  and  likely  a  yacht-club 
burgee  also.  Louis  and  Lloyd  are  both  living 
on  board,  and  we  are  making  all  haste  to  get 
in  the  stores  and  sundries. 

JU7te2C,. 

ONLY  a  line  to  tell  you  we  are  all  running 
hither  and  thither,  as  busy  as  bees, 
finding  sometimes  that  too  many  cooks  spoil 
the  broth,  but  on  the  whole  making  progress. 
It  is  not  so  easy  to  lay  in  all  the  innumerable 
things  that  may  be  required  by  eleven  people 
during  seven  months  away  from  shops.  Still 
one  way  or  another,  we  have  got  through  it. 
On  Saturday  Valentine  and  I  went  to  the  Casco 
and  unpacked  the  clothing  of  our  whole  party, 
and  stored  it  in  the  lockers  under  the  sofas  and 
beds ;  the  boxes  are  to  be  left  here  till  our 
return.     We  go  on  board  ourselves  either  to- 


58     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

day  or  to-morrow.  We  have  all  been  vacci- 
nated as  a  preliminary,  save  Louis  ;  and  we  are 
taking  some  lymph  with  us,  so  that  Fanny  can 
operate  on  him  should  we  come  across  any 
smallpox,  as  the  doctor  thinks  it  need  only  be 
done  in  that  case.  I  may  write  a  line  from 
the  yacht  before  we  sail,  but  I  look  on  this  as 
my  farewell  letter.  God  grant  we  may  have 
good  news  of  each  other,  and  a  happy  meeting 
in  His  good  time.  Take  care  of  yourself  for 
my  sake.  .  .  . 


PART    II 
THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  'CASCO' 

[The  reference  figures  refer  to  the  notes  at  end  of  book] 

Yacht '  Casco^  San  Francisco  Bay, 
June  27,  1888  ij.iopjn.). 

HERE  we  all  are  on  the  yacht  lying  off 
San  Francisco  at  the  North  Beach, 
near  Telegraph  Hill,  and  ready  for  an  early 
start  to-morrow  mornino:.  The  tugr  Kate 
came  for  us  at  three  this  afternoon  and  towed 
us  from  Oakland  across  the  Bay  to  this 
anchorage ;  and  another  tug  is  to  come  at  five 
o'clock  to-morrow  morning  to  take  us  through 
the  Golden  Gate. 

I  write  a  hurried  line  to  go  back  by  the  tug 
in  the  morning  just  to  give  the  latest  possible 
report  of  us.  But  I  find  it  difficult  to  manage, 
with  the  preparations  for  making  everything 
fast  for  crossing  the  bar  going  on  around  and 

overhead. 

59 


6o     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

Just  as  we  were  starting  a  train  passed  close 
to  us  and  saluted  us  with  three  whistles,  but  to 
our  regret  it  passed  so  quickly  that  there  was 
no  time  to  respond.  However,  we  dipped  our 
flag  three  times  to  a  government  cutter  that  we 
met  in  crossing  the  Bay,  and  they  answered  us 
at  once  ;  and  some  other  yachts  and  a  steamer 
saluted  us,  and  we  had  the  satisfaction  of  re- 
sponding.    Belle  and  Mrs.  W came  down 

to  the  wharf  to  wave  a  farewell  to  us,  and 
some  newspaper  people  came  off  in  a  boat. 
The  yacht-club,  of  which  Louis  has  been  made 
a  member,  wished  to  have  a  procession  of 
yachts  to  escort  us  through  the  Gate ;  but  a 
friend  who  knows  Louis's  dislike  of  fuss  put  a 
stop  to  it.  Fanny  and  I  are  sorry,  for  it  would 
have  been  a  pretty  and  cheerful  sight,  and  as 
no  one  would  have  come  on  board,  Louis  would 
not  have  been  disturbed. 

We  have  lovely  flowers  in  the  cabin,  the 
gifts  of  many  friends  :  one  beautiful  and  very 
large  magnolia  is  just  opening  in  the  centre  of 
the  table.  The  manager  of  the  Occidental 
Hotel  also  sent  us  a  basketful  of  fruit.  Here  is 
a  list  of  the  contents  to  give  you  an  idea  of  the 
variety.     There  are  apples,  pears,  three  kinds 


FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     6i 

of  plums,  figs,  grapes,  cherries,  brambles, 
strawberries,  bananas,  huckleberries,  oranges, 
currants,  apricots,  and  tomatoes.  That  is  not 
bad,  is  it  ? 

How  strange  it  will  seem  to  be  two  months 
out  of  reach  of  letters  and  papers.  I  think  I 
am  more  to  be  pitied  than  you,  for  I  may  have 
a  chance  to  send  a  letter,  but  I  cannot  possibly 
receive  one  till  we  reach  Tahiti.  And  even 
then,  as  the  mails  go  so  seldom,  you  had  better 
send  none  there  after  receiving  this,  but 
address  direct  to  Honolulu,  c/o  the  American 
Consulate. 

Isn't  it  wonderful  that  I  am  going  to  see  all 
these  strange,  out-of-the-way  places }  I  cannot 
yet  realise  it.  I  remember  so  well  repeating 
as  a  little  girl  at  school : 

'  Full  many  are  the  beauteous  isles. 
Unseen  by  human  eye, 
That,  sleeping  'mid  the  ocean's  smiles. 
In  sunny  silence  lie.' 

I  always  longed  so  much  to  see  them,  and  I 
can  hardly  believe  that  all  those  childish  long- 
ings are  to  come  true,  By  the  by,  Louis 
would  like  you  to  keep  all  the  letters  I  write 
on  the  voyage  for  his  benefit,  as  he  may  want 


62      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

to  refer  to  them  if  ever  he  brings  out  a  book 
on  the  'Cruise  of  the  Casco'  He  has  still  a 
little  cold,  and  we  are  all  longing  for  warmer 
weather.  We  may  get  more  than  we  care  for 
of  that,  before  I  write  again  ;  but  the  wind  has 
been  high  and  very  cold  to-day,  and  some  on 
board  begin  already  to  show  signs  of  sea- 
sickness.    Once  more,  good-bye !  .   .  . 


Yacht '  Casco^  Sunday^  July  i. 

1LOOK  on  this  as  my  first  real  letter  of  the 
cruise,  as  the  other  note  that  went  ashore 
by  the  pilot-boat  was  posted  at  San  Francisco 
and  does  not  count. 

This  is  our  fourth  day  at  sea,  and  all  goes 
well,  I  am  thankful  to  say.  Everybody  was 
at  lunch  to-day  except  Fanny  :  she  and  Lloyd 
and  Valentine  spent  most  of  their  time  during 
the  first  three  days  in  bed,  and  even  the  captain 
did  not  appear  at  meals  for  two  days,  so  that 
Louis  and  I  had  them  all  by  ourselves.  I 
missed  only  the  first  breakfast,  and  that  was 
because  I  had  been  on  deck  for  two  hours  and 
was  not  able  to  face  red  herrings  and  mutton 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     63 

chops  after  that.  I  had  got  up  at  six  o'clock 
to  see  the  scenery  outside  the  Golden  Gate  : 
the  coast-line  is  very  beautiful,  but  the  morning 
light  not  the  best  to  see  it  by.  I  had  already 
admired  Tamalpais  much  more  from  the  inside 
of  the  bay,  and  the  m^-^  from  the  Cliff  House 
is  much  finer  than  the  view  of\\.. 

We  were  towed  out  by  the  Pelican.  There 
was  a  heavy  swell  outside,  and  we  were  amused 
to  watch  the  little  steamer  first  lifted  high 
above  us,  and  then,  as  the  wave  passed,  she,  and 
even  the  mountains  of  the  coast,  were  shut  out 
entirely.  Our  vessel  seemed  very  small  among 
those  enormous  waves,  and  I  felt  nervous  when 
I  saw  how  she  heeled  over ;  however,  I  was 
told  it  was  all  right,  and  I  am  already  getting 
accustomed  to  it.  The  swell,  too,  is  beginning 
to  go  down. 

I  must  try  to  describe  the  vessel  that  is  to  be 
our  home  for  so  long.  From  the  deck  you  step 
down  into  the  cockpit,  which  is  our  open-air 
drawing-room.  It  has  seats  all  round,  nicely 
cushioned,  and  we  sit  or  lie  there  most  of  the 
day.  The  compass  is  there,  and  the  wheel,  so 
the  man  at  the  wheel  always  keeps  us  com- 
pany.    Here,   also,  is  the  companion,  and  at 


64     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

the  bottom  of  the  stair  on  the  right-hand  side 
is  the  captain's  room.  Straight  ahead  is  the 
main-  or  after-cabin,  a  nice  bright  place  with  a 
skyHght  and  four  port-holes.  There  are  four 
sofas  that  can  be  turned  into  beds  if  need  be, 
and  there  are  lockers  under  them  in  which  our 
clothes  are  stored  away.  Above  and  behind 
each  sofa  is  a  berth  concealed  by  white  lace 
curtains  on  brass  rods,  and  in  these  berths  we 
three  women  are  laid  away  as  on  shelves  each 
night  to  sleep.  There  is  a  table  fastened  to  the 
floor  in  the  centre  of  the  cabin,  covered  with 
crimson  Utrecht  velvet.  The  sofas  are  uphol- 
stered to  match,  and  the  carpet  is  crimson 
Brussels.  There  is  one  large,  heavy  swivel- 
chair,  and  opposite  the  entrance  is  a  mirror  let 
into  the  wall,  with  two  small  shelves  under  it. 
On  each  side  of  this  mirror  is  a  door.  The  one 
to  the  right  leads,  through  a  small  dressing-room 
with  a  fixed  basin,  to  Lloyd's  cabin,  and  beyond 
that  again  is  the  forward  cabin,  or  dining-room. 
The  door  to  the  left  opens  into  another  small 
dressing-room,  and  beyond  this  is  Louis's 
sleeping-room.  It  is  very  roomy,  with  both  a 
bed  and  a  sofa  in  it,  so  that  he  will  be  very 
comfortable ;  and  at  night,  when  we  are  all  in 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     65 

bed,  all  the  port-holes  and  skylights  and  doors 
are  left  open  for  the  sake  of  air. 

The  dining-room  has  a  long  table  and 
chairs,  two  mirrors  at  the  end,  and  between  the 
doors  a  very  ugly  picture  of  fruits  and  cake. 
Louis  would  fain  cover  it  up  if  we  could  spare 
a  flag  with  which  to  do  it.  Two  doors  at  the 
further  end  lead  to  the  pantry  and  galley,  and 
beyond  these  are  the  men's  quarters,  which  I 
have  not  yet  explored. 

Tuesday,  July  3. 

SUNDAY  was  cloudy  and  squally,  but 
Louis  was  able  to  read  a  short  service 
in  the  cockpit  at  4  p.m.,  which  was  the  time 
that  suited  best  for  the  men.  Yesterday  was 
delightful,  and  very  much  warmer  than  it  had 
been  yet.  We  are  nearing  the  tropics,  and 
are  beginning  to  feel  it.  We  saw  one  whale 
the  day  we  sailed,  and  four  pilot-birds^  have 
followed  us  all  the  way.  It  is  delightful  to 
watch  their  graceful  flight ;  to  see  them  alight- 
ing on  the  waves  and  walking  along  for  a  few 
steps,  leaving  little  white  footprints  behind 
them  on  the  water.  Louis  says  that  they  follow 
the  vessel  for  '  grease,'  and  that  they  suppose 

E 


66     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

the  yacht  is  an  immense  bird,  and  that  we 
are  the  fleas  upon  its  back !  This  morning  a 
flying-fish  came  on  board,  in  the  midst  of  a 
shower  of  spray,  the  first  to  visit  us  ;  and  last 
night  we  had  our  first  game  at  whist,  the 
captain  and  I  against  Louis  and  Lloyd.  It 
was  a  close  fight,  but  we  were  beaten  at  last 
by  a  single  point  on  the  rubber. 

Fanny,  Valentine,  and  I  have  begun  to  knit 
socks  for  Louis  and  Lloyd.  It  is  quite  the  best 
kind  of  work  for  shipboard,  easy  and  inactive. 
I  began  mine  on  Saturday,  and  am  near  the 
heel  already.  Last  night  the  weather  was  so 
delightful  that  we  all  stayed  on  deck  till  past 
ten ;  the  water  was  brilliantly  phosphorescent 
and  the  air  was  mild  as  milk.  We  only 
lacked  a  moon.  The  sea  here  is  quite  as  bright 
a  blue  as  the  Mediterranean,  but  it  must  have 
stolen  some  of  its  colour  from  the  sky,  for  that 
is  very  much  paler  than  it  seemed  from  the 
land.  It  is  the  colour  of  turquoise,  with  that 
under-tint  of  green  in  it.  Are  we  not  well  off 
with  a  carpet  of  sapphire  and  a  roof  of  tur- 
quoise ?     Adieu  for  to-day. 


FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     67 

Thursday^  July  5. 

YESTERDAY  we  had  a  new  sensation — a 
calm.  The  sails  flapped  idly,  and  we 
only  made  about  two  knots  an  hour  ;  the  sun 
was  very  hot,  but  we  could  generally  find  shade 
behind  one  or  other  of  the  sails.  The  sea  was 
beautifully  smooth,  and  we  had  the  rare 
pleasure  of  a  distant  horizon.  Usually  we 
seem  to  be  shut  in  by  the  waves. 

We  all  had  a  very  active  fit.  Fanny,  Valen- 
tine, and  I  took  to  making  pyjamas  and  jackets 
for  Louis  of  thin  flannel,  to  be  ready  for  the 
hot  weather,  and  the  captain,  not  to  be  out- 
done, began  some  new  covers  for  the  boat- 
cushions.  He  is  a  'palm  worker,'  which 
means  that  he  has  his  thimble,  or  its  substitute, 
in  the  palm  of  his  hand,  fastened  in  place  by  a 
leather  strap.  During  the  day  I  had  a  good 
long  walk  outside  of  the  cockpit,  which  was 
quite  a  treat.  Louis  won't  let  me  attempt  it 
unless  the  sea  is  very  smooth,  because  the 
passage  is  narrow  and  the  bulwarks  not  very 
high.  He  and  Fanny  think  me  much  too 
adventurous,  and  declare  I  will  fall  over. 
Fanny  said  to  the  captain  one  day,  'What 
would  you  do  if  Mrs.  Stevenson  were  to  fall 


68     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

overboard  ? '  and  the  captain,  who  loves  a  joke, 
solemnly  replied,  '  Put  it  in  the  log ! '  This 
morning  Valentine  tossed  Fanny's  cushion  up 
the  companion  stairs  and  very  nearly  sent  it 
overboard.  Louis  asked,  *  Would  you  have  put 
that  in  the  log  if  it  had  gone  over  ?  '  *  Yes,  if 
you  thought  it  worth  while  to  send  Valentine 
after  it.  ...  ' 

I  must  give  you  the  names  of  the  captain 
and  the  crew,  for  the  variety  of  nationalities 
is  amusing.  The  captain  is  Albert  Otis, 
American.  The  crew  are  :  Charles  Olsen, 
Russian;  John  Lassen,  Swede;  Fred  Schroder, 
Swede  ;  Charles  Wallin,  Finn  ;  Antone  Cousina 
(steward  and  cook),  Japanese ;  and  Valentine 
Borch  (cabin-boy),  Swiss. 

You  see  we  would  have  needed  to  have  a 
cabin-boy  if  Valentine  had  not  taken  charge  of 
the  cabins,  and  the  captain  wanted  to  put  her 
name  on  the  ship's  list  and  make  her  sign 
articles,  but  Louis  did  not  see  the  necessity, 
and  would  not  permit  it. 

July  15. 

I    HAVE  been  long  without  writing,  but  at 
present  there   is  not  much  to  tell.     We 
are  sailing   onward   with  varying   speed  and 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      69 

comfort ;  have  accomplished  two  hundred  and 
six  miles  in  twenty-four  hours,  and  have  fallen 
as  low  as  thirty-five  in  the  same  time,  when 
we  encountered  calms,  head-seas,  or  strong 
easterly  currents.  For  a  day  or  two  we  were 
in  the  'doldrums,'  which  means  the  calms  be- 
tween the  north  and  south  trade-winds ;  but 
now  we  are  fairly  in  the  latter,  blowing  from 
the  south-east,  and  are  making  steady  progress. 
We  expected  to  cross  the  line  before  this,  and 
each  of  us  bet  a  dollar  on  certain  days ;  but 
Lloyd's,  Fanny's,  and  mine  are  all  past,  and 
this  is  Louis's,  so  we  begin  to  fear  that  he  will 
lose  also.  However,  the  captain  hopes  that 
we  may  reach  the  Marquesas  some  day  this 
week,  and  then,  I  trust,  I  may  be  able  to 
despatch  this  letter  to  you,  as  I  know  you  will 
be  wearying  to  get  some  news  of  us.  I  mean 
to  send  it  off  at  once,  and  to  send  future  epistles 
also  in  instalments,  so  that  even  if  you  get 
several  letters  together  (as  I  think  it  probable 
you  may),  you  will  be  able  to  despatch  them 
round  the  family  one  by  one,  with  a  week's 
interval  between  them.  This  will  give  you  a 
better  chance  of  getting  them  back  promptly, 
and  will  not  surfeit  my  readers  ! 


70     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

We  have  had  some  very  hot  weather  since 
last  I  wrote.  The  thermometer  has  been  up  to 
eighty-nine  degrees  in  the  cabin,  but  is  more 
often  about  seventy-four  degrees,  and  of  course 
it  is  hotter  on  deck.  Fanny  and  Valentine  have 
taken  to  mumzis  and  holakus^^  but  I  am  putting 
off  as  long  as  I  can.  So  far  I  have  been 
content  to  discard  all  woollen  garments  and 
stiff  or  fitted  bodices,  and  I  often  wear  boots 
without  stockings.  Louis  goes  about  in  shirt 
and  trousers,  and  with  bare  feet :  he  and  Lloyd 
got  their  faces  and  arms  so  tanned  at  the 
beginning  that  they  must  now  be  surely  sun- 
proof. He  is  up  the  first  in  the  morning,  and 
is  generally  the  last  to  go  to  bed.  What  do 
you  think  of  that  ? 

Our  pilot-birds  have  deserted  us,  but  we  now 
have  plenty  of  '  boatswain-birds,'^  so  called  from 
their  curious  tails,  formed  of  two  very  long 
white  feathers  tipped  with  scarlet,  which  are 
supposed  to  resemble  a  boatswain's  marline- 
spike,  though  I  do  not  see  it  myself. 

I  have  seen  many  flying-fish  now,  and  love 
to  watch  them.  They  look  so  happy  flitting 
about  in  the  water  that  one  longs  to  join  them 
in  their  play.     As  to  our  occupations,  I  have 


FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     71 

finished  a  pair  of  socks  for  Louis.  We  are 
reading  Gibbon's  Decline  and  Fall,  and  are 
now  in  the  second  volume.  Most  of  it  I  have 
read  aloud,  as  reading  in  the  open  air  was  too 
much  for  Louis.  We  cannot  stay  on  deck 
in  the  heat  of  the  day,  but  it  is  much  cooler 
below ;  though  once  or  twice  I  have  been  glad 
to  take  a  siesta.  Louis  has  given  up  his  state- 
room because  it  was  too  airless,  and  now  sleeps 
in  the  fourth  berth  in  the  main  cabin  ;  so  we 
have  turned  his  room  into  a  dressing-room,  and 
its  size  permits  us  to  start  our  indiarubberbath 
and  to  have  a  salt-water  *  tub '  every  morning. 
The  sailors  all  have  coffee  at  6  a.m.,  as  well 
as  any  of  us  who  wish  for  it.  Breakfast  is  at 
eight.  I  am  generally  up  at  seven,  and  some- 
times earlier ;  once  I  was  even  out  at  five  to 
see  the  sunrise.  After  breakfast  we  all  go 
on  deck  till  Valentine  has  done  up  the  cabin 
and  made  it  into  a  drawing-room  once  more. 
After  that,  we  *  decline  and  fall '  off,  or  write 
and  work.  At  twelve  is  lunch,  and  at  five 
dinner.  After  dinner  we  go  on  deck  for  the 
sunset,  which  is  the  great  spectacle  of  the  day. 
We  have  had  some  magnificent  ones,  but  they 
are  about  as  variable  in  the  tropics  as  else- 


72      FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

where,  and  do  not  always  'come  off.'  Then 
we  play  two  rubbers  at  whist — the  captain 
and  I  are  now  eight  rubbers  ahead ;  and  after- 
wards we  put  out  the  lamps  and  go  on  deck  to 
let  the  cabin  cool  before  going  to  bed.  The 
evenings  are  generally  delicious,  the  stars 
bright,  and  the  air  heavenly.  We  saw  the 
new  moon  first  on  Thursday,  when  it  was 
three  days  old,  but  looked  very  large  ;  though, 
as  Valentine  said,  when  I  remarked  upon  its 
size,  'perhaps  it  was  born  large.'  It  maybe 
the  way  in  the  tropics !  On  Friday  we  had 
our  first  peep  at  the  Southern  Cross,  but 
unfortunately  it  was  just  ahead  of  the  vessel, 
and  partly  hidden  by  the  sails,  so  we  cannot 
be  said  to  have  seen  it  properly  yet. 

Our  little  vessel  sails  splendidly.  It  is 
wonderful  how  she  picks  her  way  among  the 
heavy  seas  and  ships  so  few  ;  but  we  do 
get  a  fair  sprinkling  of  spray  now  and  then. 
Last  Sunday  Lou  got  a  regular  shower-bath 
in  the  cockpit,  and  had  to  change  all  his 
clothes ;  and  I  had  two  lesser  ones,  one 
through  the  skylight  in  the  cabin,  and  another 
in  the  cockpit,  one  day  when  it  was  very 
stormy.     Once,  also,  when  I  was  sitting  in  the 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      73 

captain's  chair,  I  was  sent  spinning  across  the 
cabin,  and  struck  my  head  upon  the  sofa.  But 
see  the  advantage  of  a  hard  Scottish  head !  I 
was  not  hurt  in  the  least,  though  Louis  insisted 
on  banishing  the  chair,  lest  another  time  it 
might  be  more  serious. 


Friday,  July  20. 

IN  port  at  last !  We  are  in  anchorage  off 
the  island  of  Nuka-hiva.  The  voyage 
has  been  most  comfortable  and  pleasant,  yet 
I  cannot  tell  you  how  thrilling  it  was  to  hear 
Louis's  call  of  *  Land ! '  at  five  o'clock  this 
morning.  We  fairly  tumbled  into  our  dressing- 
gowns,  and  rushed  on  deck.  We  could  see 
two  islands,  Hua-houna,  which  has  no  good 
anchorage,  and  Nuka-hiva,  our  destination.  It 
was  with  trembling  interest  that  we  watched 
the  lofty  mountains,  no  more  than  a  grey  haze 
at  first,  gradually  growing  distinct  as  we  drew 
nearer  and  nearer,  till  at  last  the  green  masses 
of  foliage,  the  beach,  and  the  curving  bay, 
came  fully  into  sight.  '  An  unknown  land,  to 
us  at  least ;  what  shall  we  find  there,  what 
shall    we    meet    with  ? '    was,    I    believe,    the 


74     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

unspoken   question   in   all   our  minds.      Very 
soon  it  was  to  be  answered. 

Immediately  we  dropped  anchor,  a  German 
cotton-grower,  whose  name  is  Regler,  came  on 
board.  He  promised  to  help  us  in  getting 
fresh  food — cocoa-nuts,  chickens,  and  milk — 
as  this  was  our  first  and  most  pressing  need 
after  the  voyage,  and  took  the  captain  on 
shore  with  him  at  once  for  this  purpose.  We 
must  be  content  in  the  meantime  to  look  and 
wonder.  But  now  this  letter  must  be  closed, 
and  I  will  keep  all  our  new  experiences  for 
the  next. 


Yachi  '  Casco,^  Anaho  Bay,  Nuka-hiva,^ 
Marquesas  Islands,  July  22. 


THIS,  at  last,  is  my  beau-ideal!  The 
climate  is  simply  perfect,  much  more 
delightful  than  I  could  have  believed  possible 
so  near  the  Equator.  The  sun  is  certainly 
hot,  but  there  is  always  a  delightful  breeze, 
and  it  is  never  in  the  least  sultry  or  airless. 
I  fancy  we  have  arrived  at  a  fortunate  time,  as 
the  rainy  season  is  just  over,  and  everything  is 
looking  new-made  and  beautiful — how  beautiful 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     75 

it  is  hard  to  make  you  realise.  We  all  feel  as 
if  we  wanted  to  '  draw  in  our  chairs '  and  stay 
here  a  considerable  time ;  even  the  captain, 
who  was  inclined  to  think  the  whole  expedition 
quixotic,  is  charmed.  We  have  an  awning 
over  the  deck  which  shades  us  from  the  sun, 
and  we  spend  our  whole  time  when  not  on 
shore  in  the  cockpit.  At  last  I  have  open-air 
life  enough  to  satisfy  even  me ! 

Now  I  must  go  back  to  Friday,  when  I 
finished  my  last  letter.  It  was  hardly  closed 
when  our  new  German  friend  returned  with 
the  chief,  who  was  to  take  our  letters  to  the 
post-office  in  the  next  bay.  His  name  is 
Tai-pi-ki-kano,  which,  being  interpreted,  is 
'  High-water  and  mean.'  ^  He  is  a  fine-looking 
young  fellow,  fully  six  feet  tall,  with  very  good 
features  and  beautiful  teeth,  and  such  a  pleasant 
smile.  He  seemed  to  be  delighted  with  the 
vessel  and  everything  he  saw,  but  our  inter- 
course had  to  be  limited  to  laughing  and 
shaking  hands.  This  latter  mode  of  expressing 
satisfaction  appeared  to  greatly  please  him,  for 
he  solemnly  shook  hands  all  round  three  times 
before  he  went  away.  He  was  quite  nicely 
dressed  in  white  linen  trousers  and  coat. 


76     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

While  he  was  still  on  board,  a  large  canoe 
with  six  or  seven  natives  arrived,  bringing 
cocoa-nuts,  oranges,  and  bananas  for  sale.  We 
went  on  deck  to  see  them,  and  it  was  a  strange 
and,  to  us,  rather  alarming  sight.  They  were 
in  every  stage  of  undress :  two  most  respect- 
able-looking old  gentlemen  wore  nothing  but 
small  red  and  yellov/  loin-cloths  and  very 
cutty  sarks  on  top.  There  were  even  some 
who  wore  less !  The  display  of  legs  was 
something  we  were  not  accustomed  to ;  but 
as  they  were  all  tattooed  in  most  wonderful 
patterns,  it  really  looked  quite  as  if  they  were 
wearing  open-work  silk  tights.  ^  There  was 
a  good  deal  of  bargaining  about  the  price  of 
the  fruits,  and  the  wag  of  the  party,  who  did 
most  of  the  talking,  said  it  was  certainly  a  very 
fine  vessel,  but  there  seemed  to  be  very  little 
money  on  board ! 

Louis  took  them  all  over  the  yacht,  through 
the  after-  and  fore  -  cabins  and  the  galley, 
and  then  up  by  the  forecastle  companion. 
They  followed  him  in  Indian  file,  making 
strange  sounds  of  satisfaction  and  pleasure 
all  the  time.  Most  of  them  were  dis- 
tinctly good-looking,  but   there  was  one  with 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     77 

a  very  strange,  unpleasant  face,  and  an  immense 
mouth  that  at  once  suggested  cannibaHsm  to 
us  all. 

When  the  chief  went  on  shore,  Captain  Otis 
and  Lloyd  went  with  him.  He  took  them  into 
several  houses  and  introduced  them  to  the  in- 
mates, who  gave  them  always  the  kindliest  of 
welcomes,  and  treated  them  to  gallons  of  fresh 
cocoa-nut  milk.  In  the  meantime,  almost  as 
soon  as  they  left  us,  there  arrived  two  other 
canoes,  and  we  had  presently  fourteen  natives 
swarming  over  the  deck.  We  women  were  a 
little  frightened,  but  we  made  signs  that  we 
had  no  money  to  buy  anything,  and  they  soon 
went  away,  quite  satisfied  and  apparently  not 
at  all  surprised.  We  are  told  that  their  own 
women  hold  a  very  inferior  position,  and  are 
permitted  to  share  very  few  of  the  privileges 
enjoyed  by  the  men.  Only  very  lately  has  the 
last  tabu  been  removed  that  forbade  the  women 
to  walk  on  roads  which  men  had  made,  or 
to  use  a  bridge  which  men  had  built ;  they 
were  compelled,  if  they  desired  to  cross  over, 
to  do  so  only  by  wading  a  creek.  Even  now 
they  are  not  allowed  to  ride  in  a  saddle  be- 
longing to  a  native,  though   they  may  use  a 


78     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

foreigner's  ;  and  as  there  is  only  one  person  in 
the  island — Mr.  Regler — who  possesses  a  side- 
saddle, you  may  imagine  if  it  is  in  constant 
request.  In  some  of  the  other  islands,  more- 
over, a  woman  is  not  allowed  to  eat  meat ;  the 
men  form  themselves  into  '  clubs '  or  parties, 
where  all  the  pork  and  other  meat  is  consumed. 
Would  you  not  think  that  they  had  taken  a 
hint  from  civilised  society?  .  .  ? 

Yesterday  we  had  a  delightful  day.  Lloyd, 
Valentine,  and  I  went  ashore  at  ii  a.m.,  taking 
bathing-suits  and  luncheon  with  us.  We  found 
a  grove  of  palm-trees  for  a  dressing-room,  and 
had  a  delicious  bathe,  which  reminded  me  that 
it  was  twenty-six  years  since  I  had  ventured  on 
such  a  pleasure ;  but  here  the  water  is  delight- 
fully warm,  and  we  can  stay  in  as  long  as  we 
like  without  risk  of  chill.  After  bathing,  we 
lunched  on  sardines,  biscuits,  and  beer,  and 
a  native  brought  us  some  cocoa-nuts  and 
oranges,  which  are  a  green  kind,  very  juicy 
and  delicious ;  by  the  time  they  are  yellow 
they  are  quite  dried  up.  In  return  we  gave 
him  some  of  our  biscuits  and  beer.  The 
natives  are  very  fond  of  hard  ship's  biscuits. 
They  told  us  that  while  we  were  bathing  a 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     79 

canoe  filled  with  fruit  went  off  to  the  yacht 
and  offered  to  barter  the  whole  for  ten  ship's 
biscuits.  But  the  French,  to  whom  these 
islands  belong,  have  forbidden  this  kind  of 
exchange. 

We  saw  many  of  the  women  while  we  were 
on  shore,  and  some  of  them  are  very  pretty. 
They  came  round  us  and  saluted  us,  saying 
'Ka-ow,'^'  which  means  'how  do  you  do?' 
'  good-bye,' '  thank  you, 'and  many  other  things, 
all  implying  an  expression  of  courtesy.  There 
was  much  laughing,  and  many  hand-shakes 
were  exchanged  between  us.  They  wore  light- 
coloured  holakiis  with  long  trains,  a  very  pretty 
garment,  in  which  they  looked  most  graceful ; 
their  feet  were  bare,  but  tattooed  in  such  beau- 
tiful patterns  that  they  had  the  appearance  of 
wearing  open-work  silk  stockings.  They  tattoo 
their  legs  all  over,  and  Fanny  and  I  feel  very 
naked  with  our  own  plain  white  legs  when 
we  are  bathing.  The  girls,  we  are  told,  marry 
exceedingly  young.  Our  German  friend,  Mr. 
Regler,  for  instance,  has  a  native  wife  whom 
he  married  when  she  was  fourteen  :  she  is  only 
eighteen  now,  and  is  the  mother  of  two  children. 

*  More  correctly  written  'Kaoha.' 


8o     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

I  AM  continuing  this  letter  on  Tuesday,  as 
on  Sunday  I  was  interrupted,  and  could 
get  no  further.  The  French  gendarmes — I 
think  I  have  already  reminded  you  that  these 
islands  belong  to  France — came  on  board  for 
a  visit  of  inspection,  and  to  arrange  about 
shooting  licences.  Both  the  captain  and 
steward  have  rifles,  and  we  are  told  that  there 
are  wild  chickens^  on  the  island  that  are  par- 
ticularly good  eating.  At  present  all  the  fresh 
meat  we  get  is  pork,  which  is  delicious  when 
roasted,  as  it  has  a  peculiarly  fine  flavour.  The 
pigs  are  fed  on  cocoa-nuts,  and  are  quite  tame 
— in  fact,  they  are  household  pets,  running 
about  with  the  dogs,  and  even  going  with  them 
to  the  houses  for  supper.^ 

This  morning  we  had  a  visit  from  a  much 
more  important  chief  than  ours — I  mean,  than 
Taipi-ki-kino  of  Anaho,  of  whom  I  have  already 
spoken.  This  other  was  Kooamua,  chief  of 
Hatiheu,  in  the  next  bay.  He  is  very  intelli- 
gent, and  went  all  round  the  yacht,  looking 
at  things  with  a  really  critical  appreciation  : 
everything  was  carefully  and  thoughtfully 
examined.     He  was  greatly  pleased  with  the 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     Si 

captain's  rifle, — did  not  care  much  for  Lloyd's 
fiddle ;  but  the  thing  that  charmed  him  most 
was  the  typewriter.  He  went  off  at  last,  very 
happy,  with  a  Casco  ribbon  for  his  hat,  a  piece 
■\  of  plug  tobacco  in  his  pocket,  and  his  name  and 
that  of  every  member  of  his  family  printed  by 
himself  with  the  typewriter.  He  looked  such 
a  mild  and  benevolent  old  gentleman,  that  it  is 
difficult  to  believe  he  was  till  quite  recently  a 
cannibal.  He  is  now  a  wealthy  and  important 
man,  with  a  large  European  house,  in  which 
he  entertains  the  governor  ;  and  the  French  do 
nothing  that  concerns  the  natives  without  con- 
sulting him.^° 

The  typewritten  '  family  tree  '  proved  to  be 
so  popular  that  the  very  same  evening  our 
own  chief  sent  us  a  list  of  his  family  to  be 
written  out  in  the  same  way.  Kooamua,  how- 
ever, remained  the  only  one  to  try  the  machine 
for  himself.  What  children  they  are,  happy 
and  contented,  with  no  wants  that  nature 
cannot  supply.  I  wonder  if  we  are  wise  or 
kind  to  rouse  them  to  all  the  cares  and 
anxieties  of  civilised  life.  My  dear  husband 
used  always  to  say  that  dogs  had  much 
happier   lives  than  ours,  and  these   Kanakas 

F 


82      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

seem  as  free  from  every  conscious  care  and 
responsibility  as  ever  a  dog  could  be.  Their 
conduct  to  each  other  and  to  strangers,  so  far 
as  kindliness  and  courtesy  are  concerned,  is 
much  more  Christ-like  than  that  of  many  pro- 
fessing Christians  ;  but  I  am  told  that  although 
the  Roman  Catholic  missionaries  have  been 
teaching  them  for  a  number  of  years,  they 
have  produced  very  little  real  effect,  save  that 
the  islanders  have  ceased  to  worship  idols. 
Fanny  has  secured  the  last  that  remained  in 
this  bay,  a  very  uncouth  attempt  at  a  human 
figure  carved  in  wood,  and  in  rather  a  decayed 
state." 

July  28. 

T'^HIS  is  mail -day,  and  I  must  finish 
quickly,  as  we  are  all  going  on  shore 
early  to  spend  the  whole  day  on  land.  We 
are  going  to  bathe,  and  will  take  our  lunch 
with  us. 

Yesterday  a  native  dance  was  got  up  for 
our  benefit.  None  of  the  dancing  -  women 
appeared,  but  five  men,  nicely  dressed  in 
shirts  and  trousers,  danced  together  with 
great  spirit  and  grace.      The  music  was  pro- 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     83 

vided  by  a  drum,  made  out  of  an  old  tin  box. 
Many  of  the  steps  reminded  me  of  a  Highland 
reel,  but  were  curiously  mixed  up  with  cali- 
sthenic,  and  even  gymnastic,  exercises :  the 
hands  in  particular  were  used  very  gracefully, 
and  they  often  took  off  their  hats  and  waved 
them  to  and  fro.  But  they  also  climbed 
on  each  other's  shoulders,  and  did  other 
strange  things. ^^  After  dancing  for  some  time, 
they  sang  songs  to  us  in  a  curious,  low,  weird 
kind  of  crooning.  Altogether  it  was  a  strange 
sort  of  afternoon  party  ! 

When  we  came  away,  we  were  closely 
followed  by  canoes  containing  the  dancers 
who  had  just  been  entertaining  us,  and  who 
now  proposed  to  perform  again  for  the  benefit 
of  the  two  sailors  who  had  been  left  in  charge 
of  the  Casco  while  we  were  on  shore.  So  we 
had  a  second  dance  and  song  on  our  own 
deck.  We  were  also  accompanied  by  some  of 
the  women,  who  had  expressed  a  wish  to 
visit  the  yacht ;  the  chief's  wife,  a  tall,  digni- 
fied person,  and  five  others,  who  stayed  on 
board  with  us  about  an  hour.  The  mirrors 
were  the  things  that  delighted  them  most ; 
and  this   little  trait  of  sex  greatly  delighted 


84     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

Louis,  as  none  of  the  men  had  taken  any 
notice  of  them  at  all.  One  of  the  ladies  had 
her  feet  and  legs  tattooed  in  really  the  most 
wonderful  patterns ;  she  was  quite  pleased 
when  we  admired  them,  and  gave  us  a  most 
liberal  view  of  them !  At  the  same  time,  I 
must  in  justice  add  that  they  were  all  perfectly 
well-behaved  and  lady-like,  though  some  of 
the  books  of  travel  say  that  their  manners  are 
such  that  it  is  impossible  for  a  lady  even  to 
land  on  the  island. ^^ 

I  have  been  wearying  sorely  to  hear  what 
you  all  are  about.  .  .  .  Before  we  reached  this 
place  I  got  so  home-sick  for  news  of  you,  that 
I  brought  out  my  last  budget  of  letters  and 
read  them  over  again.  It  was  '  piper's  news,'  ^* 
no  doubt,  but  was  better  than  none ;  and  I 
made  believe  it  was  mail-day,  and  tried  to  be 
content.  Once  a  month  we  send  our  letters 
to  the  post-office  in  the  next  bay,  but  how 
long  they  stay  there  before  going  further  we 
cannot  find  out.  I  quite  expect  you  will 
receive  three  or  four  at  once.  .  .   . 

P.S. — Our  sailors  prove  to  be  nice,  good- 
natured  fellows,  very  fond  of  talking  and 
being   talked    to,    even    when   at    the   wheel. 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     85 

Fanny  was  apt  to  transgress  in  this  respect,  so 
whenever  it  was  at  all  stormy,  the  captain 
used  to  remark,  '  Please  don't  talk  to  the  man 
at  \he  wheel ;  to-day  I  want  him  to  steer.' 
Fred,  one  of  the  Swedes,  was  delighted  when 
he  heard  we  would  be  going  to  Honolulu, 
as  he  has  a  brother  there  whom  he  has  not 
seen  for  eleven  years. 

Anaho  Bay,  Nuka-hiva,  Augicst  2. 

MY  DEAR  CUMMY,— Here  we  are  in 
a  little  bay  surrounded  by  green 
mountains,  on  which  sheep  are  grazing,  and 
there  are  birds  very  like  our  own  '  blackies ' 
singing  in  the  trees.  If  it  were  not  for  the 
groves  of  cocoa-nut  palms,  we  might  almost 
fancy  ourselves  in  our  own  dear  land.  But 
the  climate  here  is  simply  perfect.  Of  course 
it  is  hot,  but  there  are  always  fresh  breezes, 
and  yesterday  I  climbed  a  hill  as  high  as  Kirk 
Yetton,"^^  and  was  not  in  the  least  over-tired. 
I  doubt  whether  I  could  do  that  at  home. 


*  Kirk  Yetton,  or,  as  some  write  it,  Caer  Ketton,  is  the  second 
highest  point  of  the  Pentlands,  just  above  Swanston  Cottage,  where 
the  Stevensons  had  for  many  years  spent  the  summer.  The  scars 
which  distinguish  the  hill  are  called  the  '  Seven  Sisters,'  or  '  the 
Sclidders. ' 


86     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

We  have  our  principal  meal  at  twelve  o'clock, 
and  spend  the  after-part  of  the  day  on  shore — 
bathing,  gathering  shells,  knitting,  or  reading. 
Our  Japanese  cook  and  steward  just  sets  out 
the  table  with  cold  meats,  fruit,  and  cake,  so 
that  we  can  take  our  other  meal  at  any  hour  in 
the  evening  that  suits  us. 

Fanny  and  I  are  dressed  like  the  natives, 
in  two  garments,  one  being  a  sort  of  long 
chemise  with  a  flounce  round  the  edge,  and 
an  upper  garment  something  like  a  child's 
pinafore,  made  with  a  yoke,  but  fastening  in 
front.  As  we  have  to  wade  to  and  from  the 
boat  in  landing  and  coming  back,  we  discard 
stockings,  and  on  the  sands  we  usually  go 
barefoot  entirely.  Louis  wears  only  a  shirt 
and  trousers  with  the  legs  and  arms  rolled  up 
as  far  as  they  will  go,  and  he  is  always  bare- 
footed. You  will  therefore  not  be  surprised  to 
hear  that  we  are  all  as  red  as  lobsters.  It  is 
a  strange,  irresponsible,  half-savage  life,  and  I 
sometimes  wonder  if  we  shall  ever  be  able  to 
return  to  civilised  habits  again. 

The  natives  are  very  simple  and  kindly 
people.  The  Roman  Catholic  priests  have 
persuaded  them  to  give  up  their  constant  wars 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     87 

and  the  practice  of  cannibalism,  though  only 
within  recent  years.  They  are  quite  ready  to 
go  to  church,  too,  when  the  priests  ask  them 
to  do  so,  but  here  I  think  their  religious 
feeling  stops.  Or  rather,  perhaps,  it  never 
begins !  One  of  the  mission  priests  told  us 
that  teaching  them  religion  seems  about  as 
effectual  as  trying  to  mould  water.  The 
expression  made  me  think  of  '  Unstable  as 
water,  thou  shalt  not  excel.' 

Louis  has  learnt  a  good  many  words  of  the 
language,  and  with  the  help  of  signs  can 
contrive  to  carry  on  a  conversation,  but  I 
have  stuck  fast  with  two  words,  ''Ka-oha^ 
which  means  'how  do  you  do?'  'thank  you,' 
'good-bye,'  and  I  am  not  quite  sure  how  much 
else,  and  '  Mitai'  meaning  good,  nice,  pretty, 
kind.  I  don't  expect  to  get  beyond  these,  but 
it  is  wonderful  how  much  one  can  express 
with  them. 

Louis  is  looking  so  well,  and  has  even  got  a 
little  fatter  since  we  have  been  staying  in  this 
lovely,  quiet  spot.  He  sends  you  his  love,  and 
bids  me  tell  you  that  he  is  just  living  over  all 
the  books  you  used  to  read  to  him.  For 
instance,   this   morning,  when  the  juice  of  a 


88     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

cocoa-nut  effervesced  like  ginger-beer,  he 
called  out  delightedly,  '  Oh,  I  remember 
Cummy  telling  me  of  that  long  ago,  and  I 
thought  it  so  wonderful.  And  only  fancy  that 
poor  little  sick  chap  she  nursed  ever  seeing  it 
actually  and  truly  for  himself! ' 

Anaho  Bay,  Nuka-hiva,  July  29. 

SINCE'"'  I  finished  my  last  letter  to  you  on 
Friday  we  have  had  a  most  exciting 
time.  You  must  understand  that  Fanny  and 
I  took  the  letters  to  the  village,  and  then  went 
to  our  usual  bathing-place,  to  hunt  for  shells, 
bathe,  and  amuse  ourselves  generally.  About 
4.30  the  boat  came  to  take  us  off.  As  we 
were  returning  to  the  Casco,  we  remarked 
with  some  surprise  that  she  had  changed  her 
position  ;  but  our  thoughts  were  diverted  by 
Mr.  Regler  making  signs  that  we  were  to  call 
at  the  village  before  going  on.  There  we 
found  a  strange  chief,  Kapiau,  chief  of 
Atuatua,  who  wanted  to  pay  a  visit  to  the 
yacht.  He  was  young,  very  pleasant-looking, 
and  well  dressed  in  white  shirt  and  trousers, 
black  alpaca  coat  and  black  tie.     He  asked  us 

.    *  Letters  to  Miss  Balfour  resumed. 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     89 

to  take  him  first  to  the  east  and  opposite  end 
of  the  bay  from  our  bathing-place,  to  fetch  a 
present  that  he  had  brought  for  us.  We 
found  fiis  wife  and  three  brothers-in-law  in 
charge  of  the  'present,'  which  was  a  live  (and 
lively)  pig,  and  fourteen  fine  cocoa-nuts ;  but 
by  the  time  we  had  got  them  all  into  the  boat 
we  were  getting  very  uneasy  about  the  yacht. 
We  could  see  that  she  was  moving  out  sea- 
wards, and  worse  than  that,  seemed  to  be 
drifting  towards  the  most  rocky  and  dangerous 
part  of  the  shore.  There  appeared  to  be  no 
one  on  deck,  and  nothing  was  being  done. 
We  were  in  a  great  fright,  and  got  up  sail  and 
hurried  after  her  as  fast  as  we  could  ;  and  as 
soon  as  we  were  within  hearing,  one  of  our 
men  shouted  out,  '  You  're  drifting  ashore  ! ' 
We  were  all  quickly  bundled  on  deck,  and 
found  the  captain,  with  a  very  white  face, 
giving  orders  all  round.  We  took  the  visitors 
down  to  the  cabin,  and  kept  them  occupied 
there — and  I  am  not  sure  that  it  was  not  the 
most  agonising  task  ;  we  could  hear  the  bustle 
on  deck,  and  could  follow  all  that  was  being 
done.  Another  anchor  was  dropped,  a  sail 
hoisted,  and  a  rope  attached  to  the  yacht,  and 


90     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

some  of  the  sailors  o-ettino-  into  the  boat 
hauled  her  out  from  the  cliff.  Mr.  Regler  saw 
from  the  shore  that  something  was  wrong,  and 
came  off  in  hot  haste  to  help.  He  was  for- 
merly a  sailor,  so  he  was  of  great  use  in  assist- 
ing to  save  the  yacht.  The  chief  and  his 
three  brothers-in-law  and  Lloyd  were  called 
up  to  lend  a  hand  at  the  windlass,  to  get  up 
the  first  anchor,  which  had  fouled,  and  so  was 
the  cause  of  all  the  trouble.  Fortunately  the 
water  is  deep  close  up  to  the  cliffs  at  that 
point,  and  their  efforts  were  in  time ;  no 
damage  resulted,  and  in  about  two  hours,  we 
were  comfortably  settled  in  a  new  and  better 
anchorage,  in  the  centre  of  the  bay,  just 
opposite  the  mouth  of  it. 

At  first  it  had  seemed  a  terrible  encum- 
brance to  have  so  many  visitors  at  such  a  time, 
but  we  were  soon  very  thankful  for  their  help, 
and  indeed  should  have  been  very  badly  off 
without  them.  We  gave  them  each  a  glass  of 
wine,  some  hard  biscuits,  half  a  dollar,  and  a 
piece  of  tobacco  to  carry  away  with  them,  and 
they  were  more  than  content.  It  appeared 
that  the  captain  was  at  supper  below,  the  two 
sailors  at  supper  on  deck.     Louis  also  was  on 


FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     91 

deck,  and  I  think  this  was  the  strangest  thing 
of  all,  for  he  was  admiring  the  view  of  a 
peculiar  rocky  peak  among  the  mountains,  and 
it  struck  him  that  he  had  not  seen  it  since  the 
day  that  we  entered  the  bay.  Yet  he  never 
took  fright!  It  was  most  providential  that  we 
happened  to  come  off  just  at  the  time,  and  in 
time  to  warn  them. 

The  strange  chief  was  greatly  taken  up  with 
my  gloves,  which  he  called  *  British  tattoo- 
ing.' He  smelt  them,  and  made  me  put  them 
off  and  on  more  than  once.  He  was  especially 
delighted  with  the  buttons,  and  took  it  much 
to  heart  that  one  had  come  off  He  also 
admired  my  sateen  dress,  and  thinks  *  shaped ' 
dresses  much  prettier  than  holakus. 

Yesterday  we  had  more  visitors,  who 
brought  us  a  pair  of  fowls,  and  a  bunch  of 
oranges.  We  entertained  them  to  ship's- 
biscuit,  jam,  and  pineapple  syrup  and  water. 
Yesterday,  also,  we  made  acquaintance  for  the 
first  time  with  one  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
missionaries,  Pere  Simeon  Delmas.  Louis 
came  on  him  in  the  middle  of  the  villasfe, 
and  we  wished  Lloyd  had  thought  of  photo- 
graphing the  meeting,  as  it  must  have   been 


92     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

very  picturesque.  The  background  was  an 
open-fronted  native  hut.  Louis  was  dressed 
in  his  usual  airy  style,  shirt  and  trousers,  with 
sleeves  and  '  legs '  turned  up  as  far  as  he  can 
get  them  to  go,  and  bare  feet ;  the  Pere  in  his 
long,  black  woollen  gown.  The  two  advanced 
to  meet  each  other,  each  with  his  straw  hat  in 
his  hand.  Louis  begged  him  to  come  on 
board  to  supper,  and  we  all  enjoyed  the  con- 
versation. He  gave  Louis  a  lot  of  informa- 
tion about  the  natives,  quite  recognised  their 
many  good  points,  and  told  us  that  the  bishop 
who  ordained  him  said,  '  You  are  going 
among  a  people  in  some  ways  more  civilised 
than  we  are.'  He  told  us,  also,  what  we  had 
heard  already,  that  Bishop  Dordillon,  who 
lived  to  a  very  great  age,  and  only  died  here 
last  year,  after  nearly  forty  years  of  missionary 
work,  did  an  immense  amount  of  good  :  got 
the  people  to  give  up  war  and  cannibalism  ^^ 
and  to  accept  Christianity.  But  Pere  Simeon 
added  :  '  They  have  no  spiritual  life,  nor 
any  conception  of  it.  You  see  they  have  no 
cares,  and  that  is  what  leads  to  the  higher  life.' 
To-day  a  great  misfortune  has  befallen  us  : 
Lloyd's  camera  has  fallen  overboard.     It  had 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     93 

been  left  overnight  on  shore,  and  was  brought 
out  this  morning  ;  and  while  being  handed  up 
from  the  boat,  slipped  out  of  its  strap  and 
went  straight  to  the  bottom.  Lloyd  has  taken 
a  few  pictures,  but  it  is  a  serious  loss  coming 
so  early  in  our  trip.   .   .  . 

Thursday^  July  31. 

WE  have  all  been  talking  much  of  Edin- 
burgh, and  thinking  of  the  exodus 
that  is  taking  place  just  now.  ...  I  only  wish 
you  could  come  here  for  the  holidays  :  what 
bathing  you  would  have !  And,  after  all,  you 
would  not  feel  so  very  strange  in  these 
surroundings.  Did  I  tell  you  that  there  are 
sheep  on  the  hills  that  look  like  home  ?  and 
when  we  first  arrived  there  were  birds  that 
sang  delightfully,  very  like  our  own  beautiful 
*  blackies ' ;  but  they  have  now  closed  their 
concerts  for  the  season.  By  moonlight,  when 
we  cannot  distinguish  the  foliage,  we  could 
fancy  ourselves  on  some  Highland  loch,  and 
Louis  declares  we  might  well  expect  to  find 
St.  Abb's  lighthouse  somewhere  round  the 
corner  of  the  bay. 

It  has  been  pretty  warm  lately,  but  not  too 


94     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

hot  for  comfort  if  one  is  dressed  'accordingly.' 
Like  the  natives,  we  wear  nothing  but  mumus 
and  holakus,  and  on  shore  we  nearly  always  go 
barefoot.  It  is  amusing  to  see  Louis  in  his 
peculiar  attire,  wading  about  in  his  favourite 
cove  at  the  east  end  of  the  bay  shell-hunting. 
He  does  it  in  the  full  blaze  of  the  sun,  and 
quite  enjoys  it,  and  is  looking  very  well.  I 
can't  stand  quite  so  much  sun,  and  prefer  the 
west  end  bathing-place,  where  there  is  more 
level  ground  and  shelter  beneath  the  trees. 
Also,  I  have  given  up  shell-hunting,  as  I  never 
seemed  to  find  any  but  broken  ones.  There 
seems  to  be  little  variety — nothing  but  tiny 
'buckles,'  just  like  those  at  home. 

August  I. 

JUST  a  year  to-day  since  I  said  good-bye 
to  you,  and  left  my  dear  home.     What  a 
wonderful  year  it  has  been  to  me ;  and 
how  strangely  my  fears  have  been  disappointed, 
and  my  hopes  more  than  realised!     It  is  not 
often  one  can  say  as  much.  ... 

Yesterday  we  had  an  amusing  'dinner-party.' 
We  invited  Taipi-Kikino,  chief  of  Anaho,  to 
dinner.     He  accepted  the  invitation  with  great 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     95 

joy,  and  as  a  first  step  in  dressing  proceeded 
to  the  west  beach  to  take  a  sea-bath.  But 
before  it  was  accomplished,  our  boat  came  to 
take  us  back  to  the  yacht ;  he  could  not  resist 
the  temptation  to  come  with  us,  and  so  joined 
us  as  he  was,  in  a  pair  of  old  blue  cotton 
trousers,  a  blue  and  white  shirt  with  a  hole  in 
it,  and  a  towel  round  his  shoulders !  But,  like 
a  real  chief,  he  was  perfectly  self-possessed 
and  unembarrassed,  and  could  not  have  borne 
himself  with  more  dignity  if  he  had  been 
dressed  like  a  king.  I  wondered  if  he  would 
keep  the  towel  round  his  neck  all  the  time. 
But  no  ;  when  he  sat  down  to  table  he  used  it 
for  a  napkin.  He  held  his  knife  and  fork 
beautifully,  and  helped  himself  to  salt,  and 
entered  into  everything  with  unaffected  en- 
joyment. Louis  managed  to  keep  up  a  sur- 
prising amount  of  conversation  with  the  few 
words  of  Kanaka  that  he  knows,  interspersed 
with  French  and  English  and  a  great  amount 
of  pantomime.  The  chief,  too,  was  very  quick 
of  comprehension. 

We  have  a  photo  of  our  Queen  in  the  fore- 
cabin,  which  is  always  something  to  talk  about. 
We  show  it  as  our  '  Vahine  Haka-iki  Beritano  ' 


96     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

which  means  Hterally  woman  -  great  -  chief - 
Britain.  Most  of  the  men  know  about  her 
quite  well,  we  find,  and  say  immediately, 
*  Victoreea ' ! 

We  went  ashore  with  the  chief  after  dinner 
and  he  took  us  to  see  a  real  old-fashioned 
Kanaka  house.  It  stands  on  a  platform  of 
large  stones,  about  three  feet  in  height,  called 
a  pae-pae}^  the  house  itself  being  forty-five  or 
fifty  feet  long.  On  three  sides  it  is  shut  in 
with  walls  made  of  bamboo  canes,  that  allow 
the  air  to  pass  through  freely  ;  the  roof  is  high- 
pitched,  rising  to  a  point,  and  thatched  with 
cocoa-nut.^''  The  front  is  left  wholly  open,  but 
the  roof  projects  a  little  to  keep  out  the  rain. 
Along  the  whole  of  the  back  wall  opposite 
the  entrance  there  were  cocoa-nut  mats  spread 
over  something  soft,  I  do  not  know  what,  that 
served  as  bed  and  sofa.  The  only  other  piece 
of  furniture  was  a  sewing-machine,  with  a  lamp 
standing  on  it.  As  soon  as  we  arrived,  the 
master  of  the  house,  a  very  intelligent  and 
dignified  man  (nicknamed  '  the  Chancellor '  by 
Lloyd)  sent  at  once  for  a  cocoa-nut  for  each  of 
us.  They  were  very  deftly  husked  and  broken 
open  by  a  young  man,  and  the  '  flowing  bowl ' 


JA.NE    WHVTls    IJALFOUK 

■  Chief  of  our  A  unts  .'—  not  only  I , 
But  all  your  dozen  of  nurslings  cry  — 
What  did  tlie  otlicr  ckHdreit  do, 
And  -ivhat  "MCrc  cJiitdhood,  wanting  you  • 


R.  L,  S.  CInid' s  Garden. 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     97 

was  handed  round,  a  most  refreshing  juice,  of 
which  one  grows  very  fond ;  we  are  glad  to 
drink  as  much  as  is  offered  us/^ 


August  2. 

LOUIS  and  Fanny  hired  four  natives  to 
row  them  round  to  Hatiheu,  which  is 
in  the  next  bay.  They  had  a  pleasant  trip  and 
lunched  with  the  gendarme  in  residence  there. 
Louis  also  went  with  Pere  Simeon  to  see  what 
remains  of  the  old  *  High  Place,'  where  the 
ceremonial  dances  and  cannibal  feasts  were 
formerly  held.^'' 

The  afternoon  was  cloudy,  so  I  ventured  on 
my  first  long  walk  up  to  the  top  of  the  moun- 
tain which  divides  our  bay  from  that  in  which 
Hatiheu  lies.  The  road  passes  at  first  through 
pleasant  groves  of  cocoa-nut  palms  and  bread- 
fruit trees.  There  was  also  one  large  and 
beautiful  tree  covered  with  great  bunches  of 
scarlet  blossom  as  brilliant  as  a  geranium  ; "°  I 
tried  to  get  some,  but  they  were  all  out  of  my 
reach.  Beyond  this  the  road  zig-zagged  up 
the  green  hillside  ;  and  I  got  a  magnificent 
view  of  sea  and  land,  with  a  peep  into  the  next 
bay.     I  was  pretty  tired  by  the  time  I  returned 

G 


98     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

to  the  yacht ;  and  had  good  right  to  be,  as  we 
calculate  that  I  must  have  been  as  high  as  the 
top  of  Kirk  Yetton.'"'  Anyway,  I  am  quite 
sure  I  did  wonders  for  the  first  of  August  in 
the  tropics,  and  more  than  I  should  have  been 
able  to  do  at  home. 

We  often  amuse  ourselves  by  proposing  to 
get  up  a  party  to  settle  here,  and  wonder 
which  of  our  friends  would  be  content  to  join 
us  and  live  this  half-civilised  life.  I  say  of 
course  you  would  come,  and  this  climate  would 
cure  your  wheeze,  and  give  you  a  new  lease  of 
life.  Then  Cummy,  of  course,  would  com.e 
also.  She  could  do  missionary  work  amongst 
the  natives,  though  I  fear  she  would  come  to 
fisticuffs    with   the   'pas   bons  pretres.'      The 

climate  would  be  delightful  for  G ,  and  I  am 

sure  the  natives  would  look  up  to  her  as  to  a 
queen  ;  but  then  how  could  she  stand  the  very 
cutty  sarks  that  some  of  them  wear !  I  think  I 
can  see  her  look  of  dignified  and  grieved  sur- 
prise.    For  many  things  we  decide  that  C 

would  like  to  be  here  ;  and  Lloyd  declares  that  if 
he  only  had  B he  could  be  perfectly  happy. 

We  have  just  received  a  visit  in  state  from 

*  See  note  on  p.  85. 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS      99 

Taipi-Kikino  dressed  in  a  beautiful  clean 
white  suit,  which  we  suppose  is  the  one  that 
he  intended  to  wear  at  the  dinner-party.  He 
brought  us  a  pig,  and  some  cocoa-nuts  and 
oranges ;  and  having  come  at  nine-thirty  he 
stayed  until  nearly  eleven,  a  rather  unfortunate 
time,  as  in  the  morning  Louis  likes  to  be  busy 
with  his  writing. 

By  the  way,  the  natives  have  got  names  for 
us  all.  Louis  was  at  first  'the  old  man,'  much 
to  his  distress;  but  now  they  call  him  'Ona,' 
meaning  owner  of  the  yacht,  a  name  he  greatly 
prefers  to  the  first.  Fanny  is  Vakine,  or  wife  ; 
I  am  the  old  woman,  and  Lloyd  rejoices  in  the 
name  of  Matd  Karahi,  the  young  man  with 
glass  eyes  (spectacles).  Perhaps  it  is  a  com- 
pliment here  to  call  one  old,  as  it  is  in  China ; 
at  any  rate,  one  native  told  Louis  that  he 
himself  was  old,  but  his  mother  was  not ! 

August  3. 

THE  Captain,  Fanny,  and  Lloyd  went 
ashore  last  night  and  brought  back 
startling  news.  The  chiefs  have  all  been  sum- 
moned to  a  council  of  war  at  the  governor's 
in  Tai-o-hae,  and  all  the  able-bodied  men  are 


loo     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

called  out  to  join  the  war  that  is  going  on  at 
Raiatea.^^  We  are  very  sorry  about  it.  It 
seems  hard  first  to  be  taught  that  war  is 
wrong  and  persuaded  to  give  it  up,  and  then 
to  be  called  on  to  fight  for  the  French 
against  people  of  their  own  blood.  How  can 
they  be  expected  to  understand  it  ?  .  .  . 

We  are  expecting  to  leave  Anaho  bay  one 
day  next  week,  but  the  date  of  departure  is 
still  uncertain.  The  sailors,  however,  are 
already  busy  tightening  shrouds  and  otherwise 
getting  the  Casco  ready  for  a  new  start ; 
besides  which  she  has  undergone  a  regular 
thorough  cleaning  while  lying  here.  We  sail 
first  to  Tai-o-hae,  the  capital  of  Nuka-hiva, 
to  take  in  water,  etc.  ;  afterwards  to  another 
island  of  the  group,  called  Hiva-oa,  or  possibly 
to  Fiji  instead,  as  may  be  decided;  and  then 
on  to  Tahiti,  where  I  look  forward  with  long- 
ing- to   srettino-  some  letters.      From  Tahiti  I 

o  o  o 

expect  we  shall  go  straight  to  Hawaii,  and  the 
captain  says  that  if  we  are  to  avoid  the  season 
of  storms,  we  ought  to  reach  Honolulu  by  the 
first  of  November.  That  is  all  I  can  tell  you 
of  our  plans,  so  continue  to  write  to  Honolulu 
for  the  present.     I   am  afraid  you  will   have 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     loi 

been  kept  very  long  without  letters,  as  we  hear 
that  the  mail-boat  was  very  late  of  arrival  from 
San  Francisco.  Don't  weary  for  the  next,  as 
I  fear  it  will  not  reach  you  for  some  time. 
Think  of  me,  with  no  news  of  you  all,  and 
don't  complain  !  .  .  . 

Yachi  '  Casco,^  Anaho  Bay,  August  7. 

WE  are  nearly  ready  to  sail,  and  shall  pro- 
bably start  on  Thursday.  We  shall 
all  be  very  sorry  to  leave  Anaho.  It  is  strange 
how  much  at  home  we  have  learned  to  feel 
among  palm-groves  and  half-savage  natives ! 

Louis  and  Fanny  went  on  shore  last  night 
and  were  asked  by  Kahova  (the  '  Chancellor ') 
to  have  supper  with  him.  It  consisted  of 
baked  bread-fruit, '^"  with  a  sauce  of  cocoa-nut 
cream,  which  is  made  by  beating  up  the  soft 
pulp  of  the  green  nut  with  the  juice,  and  is 
delicious.  The  whole  dish  is  called  kaku.^'^ 
The  whole  company  ate  out  of  one  dish  with 
their  fingers,  but  did  it  very  neatly.  Fanny 
had  the  dish  first,  and  took  one  dip  ;  but  Louis 
liked  it  so  much  that  he  helped  himself  several 
times.  I  asked  Fanny  afterwards  what  she 
did  with  her  fingers.     She  says  they  brought 


I02     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

her  water  in  a  tin  dish,  which  she  poured  over 
them ;  but  she  thinks  Louis  took  more  primi- 
tive means  with  his ! 

By  the  way,  you  must  pronounce  all  vowel- 
sounds  in  the  Kanaka  names  and  words  just 
as  in  French.  The  Kanaks  drop  out  nearly 
all  the  consonants,  and  hearing  them  speak 
reminds  me  of  the  old  Scotch  story  of  the 
goodwife  and  the  merchant:  ''Oo?'  ^ Ay, 
'od:  'A'  'oo'?'  Ay,  a  'od:  A'  ae  'od  ?' 
^Ay,  a!  ae  'od.  ..."  I  am  sure  it  would  be 
possible  to  equal  this  in  the  native  speech  here. 
And  talking  of  words,  I  wonder  if  you  have 
ever  wanted  to  know  the  meaning  of  the  name 
Casco.     I   did,  and  to  satisfy  my  curiosity,    I 

asked  Dr.  M ,  the  owner,  about  it  before 

we  left.  He  said  it  was  a  word  of  Indian 
origin,  but  he  did  not  know  its  meaning.  A 
bay  in  the  State  of  Maine,  near  his  birthplace, 
was  called  Casco  Bay,  and  after  this  he  had 
named  his  beloved  yacht* 

*  '  Casco '  is  also  the  local  name  of  a  kind  of  flat-bottomed  river- 
boat  used  at  Manilla  in  the  Philippines. 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS    103 

August  9. 

AFTER  all,  we  do  not  sail  till  Saturday, 
so  I  must  give  you  another  *  screed '  to 
tell  you  of  our  amusing  experiences  yesterday. 
Fanny  was  determined  to  get  lessons  in  the 
proper  making  of  *  kaktt ' ;  so  we  went  ashore 
in  the  afternoon,  armed  with  a  bowl  and  a 
beater.  First  of  all  we  went  to  Mr.  Regler's 
house.  He  could  give  us  cocoa-nuts,  but  had 
no  bread-fruit.  However,  there  happened  to 
be  a  native  there  who  had  brought  in  cotton 
for  sale,  and  he  was  despatched  at  once  to  beg 
a  bread-fruit  from  some  one,  and  very  soon 
returned  with  two.  The  natives,  I  must  tell 
you,  think  it  is  dastardly  and  mean  beyond 
words  to  take  money  for  food  ;  but  they  are 
always  delighted  to  give  you  more  than 
you  want. 

Lloyd  had  been  chopping  wood  for  the  fire 
in  Mr.  Regler's  back-yard,  where  he  always 
keeps  a  log  smouldering.  The  natives  come 
continually  to  beg  for  matches  to  light  their 
pipes,  and  as  these  are  very  expensive  here — 
a  French  monopoly,  I  suppose ! — he  finds  it 
more  economical  to  keep  this  fire  going.     So 


I04     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

— this  suggesting  it  to  us — we  rewarded  the 
man  who  had  got  us  the  bread-fruit  with  two 
boxes  of  matches,  which  so  dehghted  him,  that 
he  immediately  constituted  himself  assistant 
cook.  First,  the  bread-fruit  was  put  to  bake 
in  a  flaming  wood-fire ;  the  cocoa-nuts  were 
grated  very  fine,  and  the  resulting  pulp  was 
mixed  with  some  of  the  juice  and  squeezed 
through  a  piece  of  cheese-cloth  that  we  had 
brought  with  us.  When  the  bread-fruit  was 
ready,  the  rind  was  taken  off,  and  the  pulp 
well  mashed,  just  like  potatoes,  and  over  it 
was  poured  the  cocoa-nut  cream. ^^  Hoka, 
the  *  beau '  of  the  bay,  and  M.  Aussel,  the 
gendarme  from  Hatiheu,  arrived  during  our 
labours,  and  looked  on  with  great  interest ; 
and  when  we  had  finished,  we  carried  the  dish 
into  Mr.  Regler's  shop,  which  was  filled  with 
bales  of  cotton  and  quantities  of  dried  cocoa- 
nuts  ready  for  shipment.  Here  we  put  our 
bowl  on  a  box  in  the  middle,  and  squatted 
round  it  on  the  floor ;  Mr.  Regler  lent  us 
spoons,  and  we  declared  the  kaku  most 
excellent.  By  the  way,  I  should  have  included 
Mr.  Regler  amongst  our  onlookers  during  the 
preparation  of  the  dish,  for  he  was  busy  at  his 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     105 

sewing-machine  close  by,  making  a  pair  of 
dark-blue  cotton  trousers  for  Hoka,  whom  I 
have  mentioned,  and  who  is  the  adopted  son 
of  a  wealthy  native  called  Toma.  Hoka  is  a 
really  good-looking  and  clever  young  fellow, 
the  best  dancer  in  the  bay,  and  he  can  also 
play  most  sweetly  on  a  little  reed  pipe  with 
three  notes.^^  Louis  gave  him  one  of  his 
whistles,  and  by  the  next  day  Hoka  and  all 
his  musical  friends  in  the  village  could  play 
it  quite  well.  Moreover,  Hoka  is  a  travelled 
man,  having  been  to  Tahiti  on  a  French  ship ; 
and  he  is  only  here  just  now  because  his 
adopted  father  is  building  a  new  house,  and 
there  is  to  be  a  great  feast  on  its  completion. 
The  house  is  made  of  wood — match-boarding 
— and  has  two  doors  and  two  glass  windows, 
and  a  verandah  all  round,  with  an  ornamental 
railing  painted  green  and  white.  It  is  con- 
sidered very  grand  indeed.  Hoka  has  a  deep 
admiration  for  Louis,  and  follows  him  about 
everywhere  when  he  is  on  shore.  He  wanted 
us  to  stay  here  for  the  feast,  and  we  begin  to 
be  sorry  that  we  cannot  when  we  see  the  great 
scale  on  which  preparations  are  being  made. 
We  have  seen  men  going  up  the  hill  to  catch 


io6     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

pigs  for  the  banquet ;  another  time  we  met 
five  men  and  two  horses  laden  with  bread-fruit ; 
and  again,  we  saw  natives  coming  down  from 
the  mountains  carrying  kids  by  their  horns. 
Every  evening  eight  or  ten  boats  are  out 
catching  fish  by  torchlight.  We  should  like 
to  have  some  for  breakfast,  but  their  feeling 
about  never  selling  food  makes  it  difficult  to 
ask  for  any. 

I  told  you  Hoka  was  an  adopted  child. 
This  is  quite  common  here  :  sometimes  they 
are  even  '  spoken  for '  before  they  are  born,^° 
and  the  foster-parents  seem  quite  as  fond  of 
them  as  their  own  father  and  mother  could 
be.  No  doubt  it  arises  from  the  very  few 
births  here, — we  are  quite  struck  by  the 
absence  of  children.-' 

Tai-o-hae,  Nuka-Mva,  Monday,  August  13. 

WE  are  once  more  at  moorings  in  another 
lovely  bay,  which  reminds  me  faintly 
of  Rothesay,  though  without  the  lovely  views 
outside.  This  place  is  the  '  capital '  of  the 
Marquesas.  The  governor's  house  is  close  to 
the  water's  edge,  with  verandahs  all  round,  and 
the  *  tricolor '  floating  above  it  looks  very  gay 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     107 

against  the  background  of  green  foliage.  A 
small  French  man-o'-war  is  also  in  the  bay,  so 
the  signs  of  authority  abound. 

Louis  went  ashore  at  9  a.m.  to  pay  his 
respects  to  the  governor ;  and  Fanny  and  I 
went  with  him  to  do  some  shopping.  There 
is  a  promenade  under  the  trees,  some  wooden 
houses,  and  two  shops  not  unlike  what  one  finds 
in  the  Highlands,  where  lamps,  hams,  boots, 
and  dresses  all  hang  or  lie  side  by  side.  The 
shopping  took  us  a  very  long  time,  as  each 
separate  article  had  to  be  hunted  for.  Surely 
people  do  not  buy  much  in  the  Marquesas. 
When  we  rejoined  Louis,  he  told  us  he  had 
found  the  governor  most  amiable,  and  had 
invited  him  to  come  on  board  this  afternoon  to 
look  round  the  yacht. 

There  is  more  moisture  here  than  at  Anaho, 
and  the  valleys  are  therefore  more  productive ; 
but  the  outline  of  the  surrounding  mountains 
is  not  so  beautiful.  Yesterday,  on  our  way  to 
this  place,  we  passed  by  'Controllers'  Bay,' 
where  lies  the  valley  of  Typee.  (You  ought  to 
try  and  get  Typee  and  Omtta,  two  books  about 
the  Pacific,  for  they  are  amusing  and  interesting, 
and  very  true,   in  the  main,  of  life  in  these 


io8     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

islands.  But  I  am  not  sure  if  you  will  easily 
come  across  them.)  My  next  letter  will  tell 
you  more  of  Tai-o-whae. 


Yacht '  Casco^  Tai-o-hae^'^  Nuka-hiva. 
August  17. 


WE  are  still  detained  in  this  '  capital '  city, 
enjoying  ourselves  very  much,  though 
we  liked  the  life  at  Anaho  better.  We  tell  the 
people  here  that  they  are  too  civilised  for  our 
taste,  and  they  are  much  amused  :  one  pretty 

Spanish   woman,    Madame   J ,    wife   of    a 

merchant,  even  offered  to  accommodate  us  by 
setting  the  fashion  of  going  barefoot ! 

There  are  many  kinds  of  fruit  plentifully 
grown  here — limes,  guavas,  mangoes,  custard- 
apples,  and  others.  Unfortunately  this  is 
winter,  and  the  mangoes  are  nearly  over ;  but 
the  commandant  has  promised  to  try  and  find 
at  least  one    for   me   to  taste.     How  well    I 

remember  M 's  account  of  tucking  up  his 

shirt-sleeves  and  eating  a  basinful  of  mangoes 
before  breakfast. 

I  told  you  of  our  shopping  expedition  on 
Monday  morning.     In  the  afternoon  the  com- 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     109 

mandant  returned  Louis's  visit,  and  was  very 
agreeable ;  and  on  Tuesday  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dunn  came  to  dinner.  Mrs.  Dunn  is  only 
fifteen  years  old,  half-Spanish  and  half-native, 
and  so  shy  that  we  could  scarcely  induce  her  to 
speak  a  word,  though  her  husband  told  us  that 
she  knows  both  French  and  English.  The 
motion  of  the  yacht,  even  while  at  anchor, 
made  her  feel  ill,  so  they  had  to  leave  us 
immediately  after  dinner. 

On  that  same  afternoon  Louis,  Fanny,  and 
I  went  ashore  to  call  on  Queen  Vaekehu. 
She  is  a  most  dignified  old  lady,  with  quan- 
tities of  beautiful  grey  hair  brushed  back  from 
her  forehead.  Being  slightly  deaf,  we  found 
it  difficult  to  hold  much  conversation  with  her. 
I  am  told  she  was  the  first  person  converted  to 
Christianity  by  Bishop  Dordillon.  She  lives 
in  a  pretty  wooden  house  of  three  rooms  a 
little  above  the  bay,  and  received  us  seated  in 
the  centre  of  the  middle  room.  The  wooden 
floors  were  all  spotlessly  clean,  the  walls 
painted  a  very  pretty  turquoise  blue.  For 
furniture  there  were  two  tables  with  handsome 
covers,  many  chairs,  and  a  few  very  bad 
pictures.     Through  the  open  door  in  front  we 


no     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

had  a  lovely  view  of  the  bay,  and  the  one 
to  the  back  looked  out  upon  the  mountains. 
On  the  back  verandah  we  could  watch  some 
young  girls  at  work ;  they  came  several  times 
to  peep  in  at  us,  but  were  peremptorily  dis- 
missed by  the  queen,  who,  I  should  fancy, 
is  quite  capable  of  making  herself  obeyed. 
An  adopted  daughter  sat  beside  Vaekehu, 
and  acted  as  interpreter,  and  brought  us 
also  several  cocoa-nuts  to  drink.  ^® 

After  leaving  the  queen's  house,  Louis 
went  to  the  mission  to  see  Pcre  Fulgence, 
the  head  of  the  mission,  who  has  been  very  ill. 
He  also  visited  the  sceurs  who  have  charge  of 
the  girls'  school, ^°  and  was  very  much  taken 
with  them.  All  the  girls  from  several  islands 
are  educated  and  brought  up  here,  but  they 
were  just  separating  for  the  holidays,  so  I  shall 
not  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  them  at  work. 

On  Wednesday,  as  it  was  a  y^/^-day,  there 
was  an  early  service  in  the  church,  at  which 
I  heard  by  chance  the  girls  from  the  school 
would  be  present.  I  was  anxious  to  see  them, 
so  I  rose  at  six,  had  breakfast  by  myself,  and 
went  ashore  and  was  at  the  church  by  seven, 
Valentine  going  with  me.     The  church  is  quite 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     iii 

small,  whitewashed  inside,  and  has  the  usual 
display  of  gilding,  paper  flowers,  and  wax 
candles.  There  were  nearly  a  hundred  of  the 
girls,  all  nicely  dressed  in  white  holakus  and 
broad-brimmed  straw  hats  trimmed  with  black 
ribbon.  They  looked  very  neat,  and  were 
very  well-behaved,  acting  as  the  choir,  and 
singing  the  service  in  the  crooning,  humming 
native  fashion.  I  can  compare  the  sound  to 
nothing  but  a  gigantic  lime-tree  full  of  bees, 
and  I  found  it  so  soporific  that  I  very  nearly 
went  to  sleep.  After  the  first  part  of  the 
service,  Pere  Pierre  preached  a  long  sermon  in 
Kanaka,  in  which,  by  the  way,  nearly  all  the 
service  was  conducted ;  and  at  the  close  of 
the  Mass  about  a  dozen  people  took  Com- 
munion, the  queen  among  them.  We  were 
seated  beside  her  majesty,  and  I  spoke  to  her 
when  the  service  was  at  an  end.  She  wore 
a  very  pretty  white  holaku  with  three  em- 
broidered flounces,  a  *  cardinal's  cape '  of 
black  grenadine  trimmed  with  lace,  and  a 
leghorn  hat  trimmed  with  black  ribbon. 
Apart  from  the  girls,  there  were  not  many 
people  at  church — at  the  most  perhaps  two 
dozen  women  and  a  dozen  men. 


112     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

This  same  day  Louis  spent  at  the  Residence 
with  the  commandant,  returning  on  board  only 
about  four  in  the  afternoon.  He  had  enjoyed 
himself  very  much,  for  M.  Delaruelle  is  a  most 
agreeable  man.  Once  he  asked  us  to  guess 
his  age.  It  was  not  easy,  for  though  his  hair 
is  perfectly  white,  his  face  is  young ;  but  it 
chanced  that  I  made  a  lucky  shot  and  guessed 
exactly  right — thirty-six  years.  He  then  told 
us  that  in  Madagascar,  where  he  had  a  bad 
attack  of  fever,  his  hair  turned  grey  in  a  single 
night ;  and  he  was  so  utterly  miserable  and  ill 
that  he  tried  to  get  a  mad  dog  to  bite  him  that 
he  might  be  sent  home  to  Paris  to  Dr.  Pasteur ! 
M.  Delaruelle  cannot  speak  English,  but  is 
anxious  to  learn,  and  is  trying  to  teach  himself 
He  had  bought  some  English  books  for  this 
purpose  in  San  Francisco,  and  showed  them 
with  pride  to  Louis.  They  were  mostly  utter 
rubbish ;  but,  strangely  enough,  the  first  book 
Louis  took  up  was  Treasure  Island.  The 
commandant  is  now  hard  at  work  on  this. 
The  day  after  Louis's  visit  to  him,  he  was 
in  a  shop  when  M.  Delaruelle  passed.  He 
looked  in  and  said  :  '  Voyez-vous,  je  viens  de 
faire  la  connaissance  de  Modestine^  and  walked 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS    113 

away.  Louis  was  fairly  puzzled,  but  found  out 
later  that  the  commandant  had  found  some 
extracts  of  reviews  of  some  of  his  books, 
Through  the  Cevennes  among  them,  at  the  end 
of  Treasu7^e  Island. 

Louis  got  home  just  in  time  for  an  afternoon 
party,  to  which  we  had  invited  some  of  the 
residents,  who,  we  knew,  wished  to  see  the 
yacht.  We  had  ten  guests :  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dunn,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jorss,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Brown  and  their  son  Alan,  Mrs.  Goltz  (a 
pleasant  old  English  lady,  wife  of  a  German 
sea-captain),  Mrs.  Dickson,  and  Mr.  Cuthill,  a 
Scotsman,  who  has  a  mill  for  ginning  cotton. 
We  gave  them  champagne,  biscuits,  and 
gingerbread. 

On  Thursday  Dr.  Beynard,  the  government 
medical  man,  lunched  with  us.  He  looks 
extremely  delicate.  Unfortunately  he  could 
speak  no  English,  but  he  and  Louis  got  on 
very  well  in  French,  and  he  was  full  of 
information.  In  the  afternoon  Louis,  Fanny, 
and  I  called  on  Stanislas,  who  is  the  son  of  the 
late  king,  and  step-  and  adopted  son  of  Queen 
Vaekehu.  He  lives  in  a  wooden  house,  smaller 
than  her  majesty's,  and  it  is  by  no  means  so 

H 


114    FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

nicely  kept,  neither  so  spotlessly  clean  nor  so 
orderly.  He  is  about  forty  years  old,  and 
handsome,  in  spite  of  being  heavily  pock- 
marked, having  had  small-pox  when  it 
decimated  the  islands  some  twenty  years  ago. 
His  father  was  one  of  the  many  who  were 
carried  off  by  it.  Stanislas  has  been  well 
educated  and  speaks  excellent  French,  and  is 
evidently  both  intelligent  and  sensible. ^^  His 
wife  is  pretty,  but  hopelessly  untidy.  I  fancy 
that  our  visit  had  been  expected,  for  no  sooner 
had  we  arrived  than  presents  were  brought  out : 
a  piece  of  tapa  ^"  for  each  of  us,  and  an  old 
man's  beard  ^^  for  Louis.  These  beards  are 
very  highly  thought  of  here,  and  are  difficult 
to  obtain.  They  are  worn  by  men  as  orna- 
ments, and  are  fastened  on  the  forehead  by  a 
wreath  made  of  porpoise  teeth.  We  were 
given  also  green  cocoa-nuts  to  drink,  which  we 
always  enjoy. 

Louis  and  Fanny  finished  the  day  by  dining 
with  the  Dunns.  Mr.  Dunn  was  anxious  that 
Louis  should  stay  ashore  for  a  grand  entertain- 
ment he  was  giving,  a  feast  and  a  dance  by 
natives,  at  which  the  entire  population  of  the 
town  would  be  present ;  but  Louis  did  not  feel 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS    115 

able  for  it  after  so  long  and  busy  a  day.  (By 
the  way,  is  it  not  wonderful  what  Louis  can  do 
here  ?  He  says  he  has  not  felt  so  well  since 
'79,  and  it  is  such  a  relief  to  him  to  find  he  can 
keep  well  in  so  enjoyable  a  climate,  as  he 
feared  he  might  be  condemned  to  places  like 
Davos  or  Saranac.)  The  party  was  there- 
fore rearranged,  and  the  entertainment  is  to 
take  place  to-night  (Friday)  instead.  I  have 
declined,  and  so  has  Fanny,  but  the  captain 
and  Lloyd  will  go. 

To-day  (Friday)  was  another  busy  day. 
M.  Delaruelle  came  to  lunch,  and  stayed  for  a 
long  time  afterwards,  talking  with  Louis.  At 
five  we  expected  Stanislas  with  his  wife  and 
little  grand-daughter,  but  as  his  wife  was  ill 
and  could  not  come,  he  brought  Queen 
Vaekehu  in  her  place.  This  was  a  great 
compliment  to  us,  for  she  had  previously  told 
us  that  she  could  not  manage  it,  as  the  rheu- 
matism in  her  knees  made  it  difficult  for  her 
to  climb  into  the  yacht ;  and  indeed  we  could 
see  it  was  painful  to  her.  She  is  a  delightful 
old  lady,  with  gentle,  caressing  manners,  very 
dignified  and  serene.  She  wore  a  thinner 
white  holaku  than  she  had  worn  at  church,  a 


ii6     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

white  china  crape  shawl,  and  a  leghorn  hat. 
She  was  very  kind  and  courteous  to  us  all,  and 
we  liked  her  very  much.  The  little  girl  had  a 
male  attendant  to  take  care  of  her.  They  all 
conducted  themselves  perfectly  at  table,  and 
Stanislas  talked  in  a  most  interesting  way, 
and  showed  us  a  charming  old-time  French 
gallantry — declaring,  for  instance,  that  I  did 
not  look  more  than  forty !  The  queen's 
hands  are  covered  with  the  finest  tattooing  I 
have  yet  seen,  all  over  the  back,  like  exquisite 
lace  mittens ;  but  I  noticed  that  only  the  first 
finger  was  done,  the  others  being  untouched. 
I  asked  her  son  the  reason  of  this,  and  he 
shrugged  his  shoulders  and  said,  *  It  is  too 
painful.'  When  we  went  on  deck,  Stanislas 
said,  'The  Kanaka  ladies  smoke.' ^*  Louis 
went  to  get  a  pipe  for  her  majesty,  but  it 
occurred  to  Fanny  she  might  like  a  cigarette 
in  the  Mexican  fashion,  so  she  showed  her 
how  to  roll  one.  The  queen  seemed  to  be 
delighted  with  the  idea,  and  copied  every 
movement  most  deftly.  Fanny  took  a  ci- 
garette also  to  keep  her  company,  and  we  all 
sat  and  smiled  and  patted  each  other,  in  the 
absence  of  any  mutual  language.     Meanwhile, 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     117 

Stanislas  was  going  the  round  of  the  yacht 
with  Louis,  and  was  greatly  pleased  and  in- 
terested in  everything.  I  forgot  to  say  that 
the  queen  brought  us  presents  :  a  piece  of 
tapa  for  each  of  us,  a  finely-carved  cocoa-nut 
cup,  and  another  old  man's  beard. 

Mr.  Dunn's  large  party  went  off  very  well, 
and  was  kept  up  till  very  late.  As  Lloyd  and 
the  captain  had  been  to  several  other  smaller 
entertainments  already,  they  thought  it  was 
their  turn  to  play  the  hosts  ;  so  they  found  an 
empty  house,  engaged  some  natives  to  prepare 
a  feast,  and  invited  all  their  friends  for  the 
following  evening.  In  the  afternoon  I  went 
and  peeped  in.  The  house  was  prettily 
decorated  with  palm-branches,  flowers,  and 
flags ;  a  long  table  was  set  in  the  centre  of  the 
room,  and  the  fire  that  was  to  roast  the  pig 
was  already  lighted,  and  the  lamps  filled  and 
ready.  I  hear  it  was  most  successful,  and 
only  broke  up  at  1 1  p.m. 

Monday^  August  20. 

WHEN  Stanislas  was  with  us  on  Friday 
he  invited  us  to  go  an  excursion  to- 
day up  one  of  the  valleys  to  see  a  rocking- 


ii8    FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

stone.  He  was  to  provide  horses  and  refresh- 
ments ;  but  you  may  imagine  how  terribly 
disappointed  we  were  when  the  morning 
turned  out  hopelessly  wet.  Saturday  also  was 
a  rather  bad  day,  the  worst  since  our  arrival ; 
but  this  promised  to  be  much  worse.  We 
were  at  a  loss  what  to  do,  but  our  kind 
Stanislas  came  on  board  before  the  hour 
fixed  for  the  start  to  propose  that  we  should 
delay  until  the  afternoon,  and  go  then  if  it 
cleared  up. 

We  intended  to  leave  Tai-o-hae  to-morrow, 
but  we  may  be  detained  a  day  or  two  longer, 
for  our  Japanese  cook  went  ashore  without 
leave  on  Saturday  evening,  got  drunk,  and 
stayed  away  all  night.  Yesterday  morning,  it 
appears,  he  was  taken  up  and  put  in  the  cala- 
boose (police-office)  till  this  morning,  when  he 
was  brought  on  board,  and  was  most  insolent 
to  the  captain.  He  may  have  to  be  turned  off, 
and  it  is  possible  the  four  sailors  may  elect  to 
go  with  him  ;  but  we  find  that  we  can  get  others 
without  difficulty,  and  at  lower  wages.  We 
have  already  engaged  a  mate,  for  we  found 
we  were  '  short-handed  '  in  a  storm.  He  is  a 
M.  Henri  Goltz,  and  has  been  a  skipper,  but 


FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     119 

is  at  present  out  of  work.  He  speaks  Kanaka, 
and  will  be  invaluable  to  Louis  as  an  inter- 
preter ;  and  if  the  new  sailors  are  Kanakas, 
Lou  will  be  delighted,  as  he  will  be  able  to 
get  so  much  information  out  of  them. 

Tuesday .^  August  21. 

YESTERDAY  the  weather  never  im- 
proved, so  our  excursion  had  finally  to 
be  given  up  ;  it  was  a  great  disappointment  to 
us  all.  Louis  likes  Stanislas  so  much  that  he 
is  continually  regretting  that  he  did  not  call 
on  him  sooner,  but  it  cannot  be  helped  now. 
Did  I  tell  you  that  his  full  name  is  Stanislas 
Moanatini  ? 

The  new  cook  has  come  on  board.  He  is 
half  Chinese.  As  we  have  heard  nothing 
more  of  the  sailors  leaving  us,  we  expect  to 
sail  to-night,  so  I  must  come  to  a  sudden 
stop,  there  being  no  more  than  time  to  go 
ashore  and  pay  bills  and  make  farewell  visits. 
I  wonder  when  we  shall  reach  Tahiti  and  get 
news  of  you. 


I20    FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

Yacht  '  CascOy   Taahauku^  Hiva-oa^^ 
August  25. 

HERE  we  are  once  more  at  anchor  off 
another  of  these  Isles  of  Paradise ; 
but  I  must  go  back  and  tell  you  of  our  depar- 
ture from  Nuka-hiva.  After  closing  your 
letter  on  Tuesday,  I  went  ashore  to  pay  fare- 
well visits  alone,  as  Fanny  had  a  headache 
and  could  not  accompany  me.  I  went  first 
to  the  Residence,  where  M.  Delaruelle  took 
me  all  over  the  house,  and  showed  me  what 
improvements  he  meant  to  make.  It  is  a 
charming  house;  but  only  fancy,  he  has  but 
two  hundred  and  forty  pounds  a  year  on  which 
to  keep  up  the  dignity  of  the  French  Govern- 
ment. It  seems  miserably  little  for  such  a 
post.  I  then  called  on  all  our  other  friends, 
including  Queen  Vaekehu  and  *  Prince  and 
Princess '  Stanislas.  (The  natives  always  call 
them  by  these  titles,  though  the  French  only 
treat  them  to  Monsieur  and  Madame.^  I 
went  last  of  all  to  the  mission,  where  I  had 
a  very  pleasant  talk  with  the  sceurs.  They 
showed  me  over  the  class-rooms,  which  are 
kept  in  beautiful  order  by  the  girls ;  and  they 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     121 

told  me  that  besides  ordinary  lessons,  the  girls 
are  taught  house-work,  and  to  sew  and  cook. 
Only  four  are  there  at  present  during  the 
holidays ;  two  of  these,  I  was  informed  with 
great  pride,  had  a  vocation  for  la  vie  religieuse. 
As  they  were  only  fourteen,  I  suggested  it 
might  be  wiser  to  wait  before  coming  to  such 
a  decision ;  to  which  the  socurs  assented, 
though  with  a  hesitation  that  showed  they 
were  well  aware  of  the  risk  of  losing  these 
poor  girls  altogether.  I  fear  that  once  away 
from  the  school,  its  teaching  is  too  apt  to  be 
forgotten.  The  girls  we  saw  were  working  at 
sewing-machines,  and  looked  thoroughly  well 
and  happy. 

In  the  evening  Louis  and  Fanny  went 
ashore  to  present  their  photographs  to  the 
queen  and  Stanislas,  and  to  say  good-bye. 
At  parting  Louis  kissed  the  queen's  hand, 
which  evidently  delighted  her.  Madame 
Stanislas  gave  Fanny  a  very  finely  carved 
poi-poi^^  bowl  of  mio  wood.  Stanislas  walked 
with  Louis  and  Fanny  down  to  the  little  land- 
ing-place, accompanied  also  by  Frere  Michel, 
a  very  cheery  old  soul  of  a  lay-brother,  who 
enjoys  life  himself  and  wants  every  one  else 


122     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

to  do  so  too.  He  had  asked  us  to  give  him 
a  passage  to  Hiva-oa,  which  Louis  was  de- 
lighted to  do,  as  he  likes  the  kind  old  man. 
Fanny  declares  that  on  the  way  to  the  landing 
the  two  men  quarrelled  as  to  which  was  to 
have  the  honour  of  walking  with  Louis,  which 
was  not  very  complimentary  to  her ! 

We  intended  to  start  at  8  p.m.,  when  the 
land-breeze  usually  rises,  but  that  night  there 
was  such  a  storm  at  sea,  that  there  was  no 
land-breeze,  and  we  had  to  wait  till  morning. 
Fi'ere  Michel  brought  on  board  with  him  a 
carved  cocoa-nut  kava-cup  for  Fanny ;  a 
plain  one,  a  large  piece  of  sandal-wood,  and 
some  vanilla  beans  for  me.  He  also  brought 
a  sackful  of  splendid  oranges  from  the 
mission  gardens.  He  was  certainly  the  least 
troublesome  passenger  it  is  possible  to 
imagine,  for  he  not  only  brought  his  own 
blanket,  but  also  a  *  serviette,'  so  that  he  need 
not  even  ask  us  for  a  towel !  All  he  wanted 
was  a  place  to  lie  in,  and  we  gave  him  the 
sofa  in  Louis's  unused  cabin.  Poor  man,  he 
suffered  a  good  deal  from  sea-sickness,  and 
scarcely  touched  anything  while  with  us  but 
some  of  his  own  oranges. 


FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     123 

We  sailed  at  8  a.m.  on  Wednesday  morning, 
and  reached  our  anchorage  here  at  3  p.m.  on 
Thursday.  We  had  a  head-wind,  and  a  very 
high  sea  ;  and,  as  usual,  every  one  was  more 
or  less  sick  except  myself.  The  captain  was 
very  bad  indeed,  and  so  was  Louis  ;  and  our 
new  cook.  Ah  Fou,  being  also  ill,  we  had  to 
take  what  food  we  could  get.  We  passed  the 
island  of  U-apu  during  the  night,  and  on 
Thursday  morning  were  in  sight  of  this  island, 
Hiva-oa,  which,  I  am  told,  means  '  Yonder  far.' 
We  also  saw  another  island,  Tauata,  and  had 
to  pass  through  a  very  narrow  strait  between 
the  two,  called  the  'canal.'  This  was  difficult 
to  do  with  a  head-sea  and  a  high  wind,  and  I 
found  it  very  interesting  to  watch  the  captain 
giving  orders  for  the  different  movements. 

While  we  were  going  through  the  canal, 
Frere  Michel  pointed  out  to  us  two  nice  large 
houses  that  he  said  belonged  to  him  ;  but  it 
turned  out  that  they  really  belonged  to  a 
'  chieftess,'  as  they  say  here,  who  had  adopted 
him.  I  asked  :  '  Does  everything  that  she 
possesses  belong  to  you  ?  '  *  Yes,'  said  he,  *  so 
long  as  I  do  not  steal  them.'  Fanny  and  I 
then  said  that  above  everything  we  should  like 


124     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

to  be  adopted  by  a  chief ;  and  he  declared  that 
nothing  was  easier,  and  that  when  he  landed 
he  would  arrange  for  us  to  be  adopted  at 
once. 

These  islands  are  much  like  the  others  that 
we  have  seen,  with  high  mountains  sloping  up 
from  the  beach,  curiously  serrated  in  outline, 
and  rising  here  and  there  to  fine  abrupt  peaks. 
There  are  numbers  of  wooded  valleys,  and 
most  of  the  bays  have  curious  detached 
rocks  guarding  the  entrance,  which  are  called 
'sentinels.'  There  is  an  enormous  one  at  the 
entrance  to  this  bay  ;  it  is  shaped  like  a  huge 
hay-stack,  and  forms  a  natural  breakwater. 
The  bay  itself  is  so  long  and  narrow  that 
it  looks  like  a  river-mouth. 

As  soon  as  we  cast  anchor  the  ubiquitous 
gendarme  appeared  on  the  rocks  and  made 
signs  to  us  to  send  a  boat  for  him ;  he  was, 
however,  at  once  satisfied  with  our  bill  of 
health.  Our  next  visitors  were  two  boys  in 
a  canoe,  the  son  and  young  brother-in-law  of 
Mr.  Keane,  an  Englishman,  who  is  settled 
here.  He  was  formerly  a  cavalry  officer  in 
India,  and  when  his  regiment  was  ordered 
home,  he  could  not  afford  to  continue  in  it,  and 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     125 

was  obliged  to  sell  out.  He  is  now  married 
and  keeps  a  store  here.  It  is  indeed  a  strange 
change  of  life. 

The  Capu,  as  the  natives  call  the  captain, 
and  Lloyd  went  on  shore  in  the  evening,  and 
visited  the  Keanes,  who  begged  us  to  make 
their  house  our  headquarters  while  we  remain 
here. 

On  Friday  morning  Louis  got  up  with  a  bad 
headache,  and  looked  so  wretched  that  he  said 
he  must  rest  all  day.  However,  he  went 
ashore  with  us  to  see  if  he  felt  the  better  of 
being  on  land.  Fanny,  Lloyd,  and  I  intended 
to  go  to  the  village,  which  is  at  some  little 
distance,  to  hunt  for  eggs.  The  landing  here 
is  very  bad  ;  we  have  either  to  spring  fairly 
out  of  the  boat  on  to  the  rocks,  or  to  run  on 
to  the  beach,  through  a  heavy  surf,  according 
to  the  state  of  the  tide.  We  went  first  to  the 
Keanes,  who  were  most  kind  and  hospitable, 
and  lent  us  a  horse  for  Fanny.  Their  house 
and  its  dependencies  are  the  only  buildings  of 
any  sort  in  this  bay.  It  is  a  pretty  wooden 
house  with  a  broad  verandah  and  open  doors 
and  windows,  and  they  have  an  enclosed 
English-looking  garden,   with  lovely  flowers, 


126     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

and  a  swing  in  it  for  the  children.  Mr.  Keane 
is  cheery  and  jolly,  a  regular  John  Bull,  who 
tries  hard  to  forget  that  he  is  not  living  at 
home,  and  who  has  never  tasted  ka-ku  or poi-poi, 
or  anything  of  native  cookery.  His  wife  is  a 
gentle,  sweet-looking  woman,  half- Danish  and 
half- Hawaiian.  We  got  one  piece  of  good 
news  here  :  young  Keane  has  a  camera,  and 
has  used  up  all  his  plates,  so  was  quite  willing 
to  sell  it  to  Lloyd,  who  thinks  he  can  cut  his 
plates  to  fit  it. 

Fanny  got  on  the  horse,  and  Lloyd  and  I 
walked  beside  her  to  the  village  of  Atuona, 
two  miles  away,  in  the  next  bay.  The  road  is 
good,  and  it  winds  through  cocoa-nut  groves 
and  round  the  cliffs  overhanging  the  sea  ;  the 
views  are  most  beautiful.  When  we  got  near 
the  village,  we  met  Frcre  Michel  coming  to 
tell  us  that  the  chief  was  eager  to  adopt  us 
into  his  family,  and  that  the  preparations 
were  begun,  and  a  pig  was  already  roasting  for 
the  feast  of  initiation.  The  whole  village,  it 
appeared,  was  en  fete,  and  charmed  with  the 
honour  that  we  were  doing  to  them. 

Atuona  is  beautifully  situated  at  the  foot 
of  a  high  and  steep  mountain,  and  has  more 


FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     127 

houses  gathered  together  than  we  have  yet 
seen  in  any  native  village.  Our  house  (I  mean 
the  one  belonging  to  our  new  parents)  is  quite 
magnificent,  with  no  less  than  three  doors  and 
six  pflazed  windows.  It  is  built  on  a  hio-h 
pae-pae,  as  they  call  the  large  stone  platforms 
that  support  the  houses,  with  a  verandah  all 
round,  and  the  windows  and  doors,  as  usual, 
standing  wide  open.  The  house  is  entirely 
lined  with  twisted  reeds,  and  the  floor  covered 
with  matting,  and  everything  was  exquisitely 
clean  and  fresh.  Our  new  *  papa '  was  ready 
to  receive  us,  dressed  in  a  blue  coat  and  white 
trousers ;  his  name  is  Pa-a-a-e-ti-a,  and  he  is 
a  very  good-looking  man,  but  more  depressed 
than  is  general  with  natives.  His  wife  is  quiet 
and  very  pleasant,  but  not  good-looking. 
They  have  a  little  adopted  child,  who  was 
at  once  introduced  to  us  ;  he  is  the  son  of 
an  Austrian  sailor  who  escaped  from  a 
burning  ship  some  fourteen  years  ago,  and 
who  refused  ever  to  go  to  sea  again.  He 
settled  down  here  and  married  the  chief's 
sister,  and  this  is  his  son. 

While  the  feast  was  being  made  ready,  we 
went  to  see  the  pretty  little  church,  where  a 


128     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

kind  oXdpere  showed  us  everything  with  great 
pride,  and  then  we  visited  the  misson  and  the 
sceurs.  After  this  we  returned  to  our  house, 
where  we  found  the  table-cloth  spread  on  the 
floor.  It  was  made  of  three  large  banana- 
leaves,  each  about  four  feet  long  and  one  and 
a  half  wide.  On  the  thick  green  leaves  were 
laid  two  dishes  of  ka-ku,  a  roast  chicken,  small 
green  onions,  water  in  beer  bottles,  salt  on  a 
small  leaf,  baked  bread-fruit,  and  cocoa-nut 
bowls  as  finger-glasses.  Fanny,  Lloyd,  and  I 
sat  on  the  floor,  and  covered  our  feet  with  a 
corner  of  the  mat,  as  we  had  been  taught  to 
do  at  Anaho.  Our  new  father  and  mother 
and  'little  brother  Joseph'  seated  themselves 
near  us.  The  roast  pig  was  on  the  floor 
behind,  and  near  by,  on  a  round  table,  was 
fruit,  beer,  and  cocoa-nuts.  An  elegantly- 
dressed  native  stood  behind  to  wait  on  us,  the 
old  pere  beamed  most  benignantly  on  us  from 
his  chair,  and  Frere  Michel,  as  master  of 
ceremonies,  stood  beside  him.  Windows  and 
doors  were  blocked  by  interested  natives, 
eagerly  watching  all  the  proceedings ;  and 
when  we  could  get  a  peep  between  them,  we 
caught  sight  of  gaily-dressed  women  and  girls 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     129 

sitting  on  the  spreading  roots  of  a  large  bread- 
fruit tree.  And  the  bright  sunshine  made 
everything  resplendent. 

We  were  offered  spoons,  but  declined,  as  we 
wished  to  show  we  could  be  true  Kanakas ; 
and,  plunging  our  two  fore-fingers  into  the 
bowl,  we  eat  greedily  of  the  ka-ku.  I  asked 
Frere  Michel  why  he  did  not  join  us,  but  he 
said,  '  No,  that  would  not  be  convenable,  as  I 
do  not  belong  to  your  family.'  It  was,  you 
see,  a  sort  of  ceremonial  feast,  a  rite  of 
adoption.  .  .  .  However,  we  did  not  all  eat 
out  of  one  bowl  ;  we  three  shared  the  one 
and  our  new  family  the  other.  It  was 
extremely  good,  and  so  was  the  chicken.  Pig 
and  poi-poi  were  served  as  a  second  course, 
and  after  that  we  had  pine  -  apples  and 
oranges ;  and  we  pledged  each  other  con- 
vivially  in  cocoa-nut  juice,  clinking  the  shells 
in  proper  fashion.  When  we  had  finished,  the 
frere  went  round  and  poured  water  over  our 
hands,  exactly  as  we  read  of  it  being  done  at 
a  Bible  feast."  I  asked  him,  *  Have  we  now 
a  right  to  live  in  this  house  as  long  as  we 
like  ?  May  we  stay,  for  instance,  for  a  year  ? ' 
'  Certainly,'  he  assured  us.  '  Or  you  may 
I 


I30     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

demand  to  have  a  new  house  built  for  yourself, 
and  it  will  be  done.' 

The  adoption  was  now  complete,  as  to 
Pa-a-a-e-u-a's  part  in  it ;  and  all  that  remained 
to  do  was  for  us  to  give  presents  to  our  new 
relatives.  This  perplexed  us  at  first,  as  we 
had  of  course  come  unprepared ;  but  Lloyd 
took  the  Casco  ribbon  off  his  hat,  and  I  gave 
it  to  our  new  'papa,'  and  Fanny  made  our 
*  mamma '  happy  with  a  pen-knife.  As  long  as 
we  live  we  have  now  a  right  to  come  here  and 
share  all  things  with  our  new  family,  so  you 
people  at  home  must  make  yourselves  very 
agreeable  if  you  want  to  keep  us  with  you ! 
Lloyd  thinks  we  ought  to  put  the  thing  into  the 

hands  of  B to  keep  our  new  father  from 

adopting  all  and  sundry,  and  so  lessening  our 
share  of  the  succession.  You  might  suggest 
it  to  B ,  and  hear  what  he  thinks  of  it !  ^^ 

Frere  Michel  told  us  that  he  was  very  sorry 
we  could  not  understand  the  lanoruao-e  and 
hear  the  remarks  made  by  the  natives.  He 
said  they  were  so  gratified  by  our  keeping  to 
the  native  customs  that  our  popularity  was  in- 
creasing every  minute ;  and  the  strange  thing 
was  that,  although  we  were  the  observed  of  all 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     131 

observers,  we  all  confessed  to  not  having  felt 
in  the  least  awkward  or  embarrassed.  Among 
the  gazers,  by  the  by,  was  the  Austrian  sailor 
of  whom  I  told  you.  When  the  feast  was 
over,  we  took  leave  of  our  family  inside  the 
house,  and  of  the  merry  groups  of  men,  women, 
and  children  outside,  and  came  back  to  the 
yacht,  very  full  of  all  we  had  seen  and  done. 
Poor  Lou  was  terribly  disappointed,  however. 
He  said  that  if  we  had  sent  back  the  horse  for 
him  he  would  have  come  to  the  feast  even  at 
the  risk  of  having  to  suffer  for  it ;  but  this  had 
never  occurred  to  us,  as  we  thought  he  was 
feeling  too  ill  to  think  of  such  a  thing. 

August  27. 

ON  Saturday  our  new  relatives  came  to 
visit  us,  and  we  had  great  discussions 
as  to  what  presents  we  should  give  them. 
Frere  Michel  told  us  that  they  would  like  a 
black  coat  better  than  anything  else  in  the 
world,  and  Lloyd  thought  he  had  one  that  he 
could  spare  ;  but  it  turned  out,  unfortunately, 
that  it  had  been  left  behind  at  San  Francisco, 
The  captain  good  -  naturedly  came  to  the 
rescue,  and  offered  us  a  grey  one,  with  tails. 


132     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

He  rather  crowed  over  us,  when  he  saw  our 
difficulties,  and  declared  he  was  glad  that  he 
had  not  happened  to  accompany  us,  and  so 
had  no  Kanaka  parents.  After  much  dis- 
cussion,  however,    we   ended    by   giving   the 

*  mamma '  a  whole  piece  of  pink  printed  calico, 
(forty  yards),  and  a  bottle  of  perfume  ;  and  to 

*  papa '  a  very  nice  clasp-knife  with  a  spring 
to  it  that  Lloyd  had  bought  in  San  Francisco, 
a  whole  box  of  cigars,  and  another  bottle  of 
scent.  Also  to  'little  brother  Joseph' a  silk 
handkerchief,  which  had  been  one  of  Mrs. 
Fairchild's  presents  to  Lloyd.  Fanny  after- 
wards added  a  photograph  of  herself,  and  a  fan, 
for  the  'mamma.'  They  all  seemed  greatly 
pleased  with  their  presents,  which  was  satis- 
factory. Little  Joseph  brought  us  some 
curious  dancing  ornaments  made  of  human 
hair,  and  a  fine  carved  bowl,  which  he  carried 
himself  all  the  way,  clasped  in  his  arms. 

Yesterday  afternoon  I  climbed  to  the  top  of 
a  steep  hill  higher  than  Arthur's  Seat,  and  had 
a  magnificent  view  over  many  lovely  valleys, 
and  the  sea  lying  beyond.  This  island  is  more 
beautiful  than  Nuka-hiva ;  but  on  account  of 
the  greater  moisture,  the  climate  is  perceptibly 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     133 

more  trying.  We  often  have  regular  Scottish 
mists  about  the  mountains  here,  and  there  is 
such  a  heavy  dew  at  night  that  we  cannot  stay 
late  on  deck.  Anaho  has  certainly  the  most 
perfect  climate  of  all  the  places  we  have  yet 
visited,  but  here  we  have  few  mosquitoes,  and 
no  no-nos}^  The  legend  has  it  that  the  people 
of  Hiva-oa  served  one  of  the  gods  better  than 
the  inhabitants  of  Nuka-hiva ;  and  as  a  re- 
ward the  deity  packed  up  all  the  mosquitoes 
and  no-nos  in  a  cocoa-nut  shell,  and  sent  it 
over  to  Nuka-hiva. *°  Isn't  that  rather  like 
St.  Patrick  and  the  Irish  froofs  and  toads  .f* 

It  turns  out  that  Mr.  Keane  has  accepted 
at  least  one  of  the  native  customs,  as  all  his 
children  are  adopted.  One  boy  and  girl  are 
the  children  of  his  brother,  and  the  other  boy 
and  girl  were  son  and  daughter  of  a  friend. 
The  brother,  it  appears,  had  lost  his  wife,  and 
the  friend  his  money.  Mr.  Keane  said,  '  There 
is  always  plenty  of  bread-fruit  here ;  send  the 
children  to  me. 


134     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 


Yacht '  Casco^ 
Taahanku^  Hiva-oa,  August  29,  i{ 


WHAT  a  strange  28th  of  August "'  I 
passed  yesterday.  It  was  a  lovely 
day,  and  Fanny,  the  captain,  Lloyd  and  his 
'Co'  (Mr.  Keane's  godson),  and  I  started 
early  to  take  photographs  at  Atuona.  I 
walked  on  ahead,  alone,  that  I  might  have  a 
few  minutes  to  myself,  leaving  the  others  to 
follow  with  the  horse  and  the  precious  camera. 
Colinton  manse  and  the  dear  old  times  were 
very  present  to  me  ;  but  had  any  one  told  me 
forty  years  ago  where  I  should  spend  the  28th 
of  August  1888,  how  impossible  it  would  have 
seemed  that  such  a  thing  could  come  true ! 

When  we  reached  the  villaofe  we  found  Pa- 
a-a-e-u-a  (I  hope  you  understand  that  you  are 
to  sound  each  letter  separately),  in  rather 
soiled  white  garments  ;  but  after  greeting  us 
he  immediately  disappeared,  and  presently  he 
rejoined  us  in  dark-blue  coat  and  clean  white 
trousers,  which  is  evidently  correct  high-chief 
attire.  We  have  a  great  deal  of  joking  about 
our  *Pa.'     I  hope  you  observe  how  well  his 


FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     135 

name  as  well  as  his  relationship  lends  itself  to 
this  contraction  ! 

Lloyd  has  got  the  use  of  a  small  dark  room 
at  the  mission  for  developing  his  pictures  ;  he 
succeeded  in  taking  a  good  many,  which  we 
sincerely  hope  will  turn  out  well.  He  did  both 
the  outside  and  the  inside  of  the  church,  Frere 
Michel  and  Pere  Orenz,  a  large  group  of 
ourselves  surrounded  by  the  natives,  and  a 
smaller  one  of  ourselves  with  our  new  family. 
He  wanted  to  get  one  of  a  native  in  war- 
costume,  and  after  a  good  deal  of  persuasion, 
one  of  them,  called  Moipu,'^''-  consented  to  dress 
up  and  stand  for  his  portrait,  on  condition  that 
he  was  to  get  a  copy  for  himself.  He  is  a 
cruel-looking  man  of  about  thirty-five,  and  was 
formerly  chief  or  king  of  this  island,  and  a 
notorious  cannibal.  On  account  of  his  very 
bad  conduct  the  French  degraded  him,  and 
appointed  our  '  Pa '  to  be  chief  in  his  stead. 
The  two  seem  to  live  together  on  fairly  good 
terms ;  but  there  was  one  thing  that  amused 
us  very  much.  When  Moipu  was  dressed 
and  ready  to  be  photographed,  'Pa'  quickly 
stepped  forward  and  placed  himself  at  his 
side,  as  if  to  say,  '  You  may  take  him,  if  you 


136     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

wish,  but  you  must  take  the  real  chief  along 
with  him!'  It  is  interesting  and  curious  to 
see  the  past  and  present  in  such  close  juxta- 
position. 

We  stayed  at  Atuona  till  the  afternoon, 
taking  our  lunch  at  a  little  '  eating  -  house  * 
kept  by  a  Chinaman.  He  gave  us  ham  and 
eggs,  sardines,  baked  bread-fruit,  preserved 
apples,  and  the  inevitable  cocoa-nut  juice  :  it 
was  all  very  good  and  clean.  When  we  came 
away  his  wife  gave  Fanny  a  piece  of  sandal- 
wood, and  Frere  Michel  delighted  us  with  an 
enormous  bag  of  cocoa-nut  pith  to  make  salad 
of.^^  Cocoa-nut  salad,  you  must  know,  is  con- 
sidered a  great  delicacy.  At  the  Hotel  de 
Londres,  in  Paris,  a  dish  of  it  costs  six  hundred 
francs !  You  take  the  soft  pith  and  cut  it  into 
very  small  thin  chips,  and  dress  it  with  oil  and 
vinegar;  we  all  think  it  delicious,  as  I  fancy 
most  people  do.  '  Pa '  also  presented  us  with 
a  bunch  of  ripe  bananas,  a  pineapple,  and 
some  oranges. 

On  Monday  Louis  went  on  an  excursion 
up  into  the  mountains  with  Frere  Michel  : 
he  rode  on  horseback,  and  enjoyed  it 
very,    very    much,    but    I   grieve   to    say  that 


FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     137 

he  got  over-heated  and  then  chilled,  and 
he  has  not  been  well  since.  It  is  such  a 
pity. 

We  have  had  a  strange  old  Kanak  on  board 
for  three  and  a  half  days,  and  his  occupation 
was  as  strange  as  himself  He  had  come  to 
arrange  Fanny's  'old  men's  beards'  into  a 
proper  headdress  ;  for  I  think  I  told  you  that 
human  hair  was  so  worn.  He  is  a  remarkable- 
looking  old  man,  with  a  striking  resemblance 
to  our  brother  John :  his  name  is  Matiao,  and 
he  has  a  splendid  long  grey  beard  of  his  own, 
but  he  keeps  it  tied  up  in  a  knot  under  his  chin 
— for  greater  safety,  as  we  suppose.  We  were 
told  that  he  could  sell  it  any  day  for  a  hundred 
dollars.  He  has  been  a  rather  troublesome 
guest,  as  he  requires  constant  watching,  lest  he 
carry  some  of  our  beards  away  ;  for  I  grieve  to 
say  that  neither  the  Seventh  nor  the  Eighth 
Commandment  is  written  by  nature  on  the 
heart  of  these  Kanakas,  and  it  seems  difficult, 
not  to  say  impossible,  to  instil  either  into  their 
minds.  I  really  think  it  is  because  they  are 
accustomed  to  have  everything  in  common/* 
But  to  return  to  our  old  man  :  he  is  very  fond 
of  talking,  and  as  most  of  it,  when  addressed  to 


138     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

us,  has  to  be  done  by  signs,  his  work  in  con- 
sequence is  often  brought  to  a  standstill.  He 
is  also  very  fond  of  his  food,  and  manages 
to  waste  a  great  deal  of  time  over  that;  be- 
sides which,  he  expects  to  be  waited  on  hand 
and  foot,  and  won't  even  fetch  a  drink  of  water 
for  himself.  Once,  however,  we  had  a  good 
laugh  at  his  expense.  He  had  a  tin  bowl  of 
water  served  to  him  at  his  meals,  and  when  he 
was  ready  to  begin  he  washed  his  hands  in  it, 
and  sio^ned  to  Valentine  to  throw  the  used 
water  away.  She,  however,  thought  he  might 
do  it  for  himself,  and  took  no  notice.  Fanny, 
seeing  something  was  wanted,  and  misunder- 
standing his  gesture,  took  up  his  plate  of  food 
— which  he  was  not  at  all  ready  to  part  with 
— and  emptied  it  overboard.  He  looked 
taken  aback  for  a  moment,  but  ultimately 
joined  in  the  general  laugh  against  himself. 
It  was  much  funnier  than  it  sounds,  after  the 
lordly  way  he  had  waved  to  Valentine.  We 
wonder  whether  his  work  is  not  perhaps  con- 
sidered religious  or  sacred  in  character,  and 
that  it  would  be  infra  dig.  for  him  to  wait 
upon  himself  while  he  is  engaged  on  it. 
It    is    a   great    pity   that   we    cannot    under- 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     139 

stand  more  of  what  he  says,  for  he  is  the 
wag  of  the  village,  and  keeps  all  the  people 
laughing. 

August  30. 

YESTERDAY  Lloyd  went  back  to 
Atuona  to  take  some  more  photo- 
graphs, and  Moipu  met  him  and  begged  him 
to  do  one  of  his  brother.  He  gave  Lloyd 
a  piece  of  sandalwood,  and  some  tapa,  and 
promised  him  a  pair  of  fowls.  Lloyd  also 
agreed  to  exchange  names  with  him,  as  they 
do  here  when  they  become  brothers,  and  then 
you  may  ask  for  anything  you  like.  Lloyd 
declared  it  was  well  to  be  connected  with  the 
old  dynasty  as  well  as  the  new,  as  there  might 
be  a  change  of  ministry ! 

Our  mate,  Mr.  Goltz,  turns  out  to  be  a 
Pole,  not  a  German.  He  is  a  good-looking 
man,  and  adds  dignity  to  our  following,  but 
is  rather  too  fond  of  talking,  and  when  once 
started,  his  words  flow  like  a  river.  Louis 
says  he  would  often  like  to  dam  said  river. 
As  to  the  new  cook.  Ah  Fou,  he  cooks  better 
than  the  one  we  had  before,  but  is  very  little 
of  a  steward.     However,   he   is  manageable, 


140    FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

which  is  a  great  matter :  the  Jap  was  master 
of  all  he  surveyed,  feeding  the  crew  on  our 
best  tinned  soups,  and  we  had  no  redress.  No 
wonder  the  men  were  attached  to  him ! 

September  i. 

ABOUT  twelve-thirty  we  had  a  great 
excitement.  A  schooner  came  into  the 
bay  beside  us.  What  could  she  be?  Was 
she  the  Dolly,  a  coasting  boat  daily  expected  ? 
No,  for  she  was  painted  black,  and  the  Dolly 
was  grey.  Could  she  be  the  Nu-hiva,  the 
French  Government  cutter  from  Tai-o-hae  .'* 
No,  we  very  soon  saw  she  was  not  that  either. 
The  mate  said  she  was  an  English  yacht,  *  You 
can  see  she  is  a  John  Bull  all  over,  and  if 
she  isn't,  I  '11  hang  myself.'  We  all  watched 
eagerly  to  see  her  colours  go  up,  and  behold, 
it  was  our  beloved  blue  ensign,  and  the  mate's 
neck  was  safe.  After  a  time  we  made  out  her 
name  to  be  Nyanza.  By  and  by  the  owner 
came  over  to  call  on  us  ;  and  we  found  he  was 
Captain  Cumming  Dewar  of  Vogrie  in  the 
county  of  Midlothian !  Is  it  not  very  strange 
that  two  yachts  should  meet  in  such  an  out-of- 
the-way  corner  of  the  world,  and   that   both 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     141 

proprietors  should  hail  from  the  same  county  ? 
More  than  that,  we  knew  Captain  Dewar's 
father  a  little,  and  I  was  introduced  to  the 
captain  himself  in  the  Paddington  Hotel 
in  November  1873,  when  we  were  seeing 
Louis  off  to  Mentone.  The  Dewars  were  off 
to  the  same  place  on  account  of  the  health  of 
this  very  young  man  who  is  now  here.  .  .   . 

They  have  been  thirteen  months  away,  and 
have  done  many  wonderful  things  :  have  come 
through  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  lived  in 
Robinson  Crusoe's  Island,  had  to  live  three 
months  on  the  Falkland  Islands  till  they  got  a 
new  captain  sent  out  to  them,  and  when  they 
landed  on  Easter  Island  a  storm  came  on  and 
they  could  not  get  back  to  the  yacht  for  a 
week,  and  had  to  live  in  a  cave  with  the 
natives  as  best  they  could  !  .  .  . 

We  went  on  board  the  other  boat  in  the 
evening,  but  Louis  was  still  very  far  from  well. 
We  hoped  that  the  little  excitement  of  this 
new  arrival  might  brighten  him  up,  but  it  was 
very  close  in  their  saloon,  and  as  he  would  go 
with  us,  I  fear  he  caught  a  fresh  chill.  At  any 
rate  he  has  been  in  bed  all  day. 


142     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

Septettiber  2. 

MOIPU  came  on  board  yesterday  to 
cement  the  brotherhood  between  him 
and  Lloyd.  Besides  the  tapa  and  the  sandal- 
wood that  he  had  already  given,  he  brought 
a  live  pig,  a  pair  of  fowls,  a  lot  of  cocoa-nuts, 
and  some  eggs.  He  arrived  too  late  for  our 
own  meal,  so  we  gave  him  cold  tongue, 
asparagus,  bread,  biscuits,  and  two  kinds  of 
jam,  and  champagne.  He  seemed  delighted 
with  everything,  especially  the  number  of 
different  views  of  himself  in  the  mirrors,  and 
with  the  presents  we  gave  him,  which  were 
a  box  of  cigars,  a  silk  handkerchief,  a  tin  of 
salmon,  another  of  lobsters,  three  pots  of  mar- 
malade, and  a  bottle  of  scent !  Frere  Michel, 
who  came  later  to  visit  us  with  old  Pere 
Oranz,  told  us  that  Moipu  was  delighted  with 
his  reception  and  his  gifts ;  and  that  as  for  old 
Matiao,  he  is  so  conceited  about  his  stay  of 
three  days  and  a  half  on  the  Casco  that  he  can 
talk  of  nothing  else. 

Captain  Chase,  an  American  who  lives  in 
the  next  bay,  came  to  call  on  Louis  as  soon  as 
he  heard  of  the  Casco' s  arrival.     He  had  read 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     143 

about  him  in  a  San  Francisco  paper,  and  had 
read  also  about  yachts,  but  had  never  seen 
one,  and  wanted  to  know  what  they  were  Hke. 
A  few  days  afterwards  some  amusing  verses 
were  sent  to  us,  written  by  a  Scotsman  called 
M 'Galium,  who  is  a  sort  of  partner  of  Captain 
Chase.*  Isn't  it  amusing  to  come  on  a  '  poet 
laureate  '  in  the  Marquesas  ? 

I  was  interested  to  discover  the  other  day 
that  pineapples  grow  here  like  weeds  by  the 
wayside.  They  are  just  coming  into  flower,  so 
I  don't  know  where  '  Pa '  got  the  one  he  sent  us. 

September  5. 

AT  sea  again,  en  route  for  Fakarova,  one 
of  the  Paumotu  Islands.  Louis  had 
been  in  bed  all  Saturday  and  Sunday,  and 
thought  a  change  would  do  him  good,  so  we 
determined  to  leave  on  Tuesday  morning. 
After  breakfast  on  Monday  morning  Fanny, 
Lloyd,  Captain  Otis,  and  I  started  off  to  say 
good-bye  to  all  our  friends.  As  we  also 
wished  greatly  to  see  the  '  invisible  valley,' 
which  was  at  some  little  distance,  Fanny  and 
I  both  borrowed  horses  from  Mr.  Keane.    We 

*  The  verses  are  given  in  R.  L.  Stevenson's  volume  In  the  South 
Seas,  p.  117. 


144     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

went  first  to  the  Chinaman's,  and  had  lunch  ; 
and  when  Moipu  heard  that  we  were  there  he 
sent  up  a  bowl  of  ka-ku  to  help  our  repast. 
Mrs.  Chinaman  gave  Fanny  a  cocoa  -  nut 
wreath  ^^  for  her  hat,  and  to  the  rest  of  us  a 
large  bag  of  oranges.  Did  you  ever  hear  of 
such  people  for  giving  presents  ?  Our  only 
connection  with  them  was  that  we  had  taken 
a  few  meals  in  their  eating  -  house.  Mrs. 
Chinaman  also  got  a  horse,  and  accompanied 
us  up  the  valley.  It  is  called  'invisible'  be- 
cause the  entrance  is  hidden  by  a  spur  of  the 
mountain ;  the  scenery  was  most  beautiful, 
Highland  mountain-peaks  above  us,  a  High- 
land burn  murmuring  in  our  ears,  and  yet  we 
were  surrounded  by  tropical  vegetation.  I 
thought  of  Rasselas  and  the   'happy  valley,' 

and  longed  for  T to  repeat  the  description 

of  it  to  me. 

Only  Fanny  and  I  went  up  the  valley,  Lloyd 
and  the  captain  being  occupied  in  taking  more 
photographs.  When  we  returned  to  the  village 
we  said  good-bye  to  our  kind  friends  of  the 
mission,  who  put  the  coping  -  stone  on  their 
favours  by  giving  us  a  live  sheep.  How  are 
we  ever  to  repay  them  ?     '  Pa '  and  his  family 


MRS.    STKVFNSON    AND    IIKU    SON    ■'l.OUI'i"    IN    1854 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     145 

were  not  at  home,  but  Frere  Michel  took  care 
of  some  little  parting  gifts  for  them,  and 
promised  to  present  our  good  wishes.  Moipu 
took  leave  of  us  almost  with  tears.  He  was 
delighted  when  we  remembered  to  call  him 
Matd  Karaki,  the  young-man-with-spectacles  ; 
you  know  he  and  Lloyd  exchanged  names. 
Mr.  Keane  sent  a  hundred  cocoa-nuts  on 
board,  and  sent,  also,  his  large  boat  with  six 
rowers  to  row  us  out  of  the  bay,  when  we  left 
at  7  A.M. 

We  have  had  perfect  weather,  and  little 
sea-sickness ;  Louis  seems  much  better  too, 
I  am  thankful  to  say,  and  is  up  on  deck 
as  usual,  though  still  coughing  a  good 
deal. 

September  g. 

THIS  is  real  pleasure-sailing,  and  the 
ocean  has  been  truly  Pacific.  We  sit 
all  day  on  the  top  of  the  deck-house  sheltered 
from  the  sun  by  the  sails,  reading,  writing, 
working  and  talking.  We  have  had  splendid 
sunsets,  too,  almost  as  decidedly  purple  and 
gold  as  those  we  see  in  Edinburgh  which  are 
described  as  tropical,  and  which  I  have  been 

K 


146     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

longing  for.  We  are  very  thankful  for  the 
fine  weather,  as  we  are  now  among  the  coral 
islands  of  the  Low  Archipelago.  They  lie  close 
together,  as  well  as  very  low  in  the  water, 
and  there  are  very  rapid  currents  between 
them,  all  of  which  makes  navigation  diffi- 
cult and  dangerous.  Captain  Otis  did  not 
much  like  coming  amongst  them ;  but  Louis 
was  so  anxious  to  reach  some  out-of-the-way 
place,  that  at  last  he  agreed.  Yesterday 
morning  at  5.15  we  sighted  Tikei,  one  of  the 
*  Pernicious  Islands.'  It  was  very  small,  and 
looked  like  a  row  of  cocoa-nut  trees  growing 
out  of  the  water.  At  11. 15  we  came  in  sight 
of  Taiaro.  It  was  much  larger,  and  we  could 
see  a  long  white  beach  and  trees  of  many 
different  kinds  and  varieties.  It  reminded 
me  very  much  of  the  Lido,  close  to  Venice. 
Taiaro  remained  in  sight  for  a  long  time,  and 
we  longed  to  land,  but  prudence  said  *  no.'  All 
day  long  we  had  kept  a  look-out  at  the  mast- 
head ;  and  at  six  o'clock,  just  after  sunset, 
Raraka  was  spied  from  that  exalted  position. 
The  captain  and  mate  passed  a  very  anxious 
night,  but  all  went  well ;  and  this  morning, 
soon  after  seven,  we  came  on  deck  to  find  our- 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     147 

selves  coasting:  alongr  the  island  of  Kauehi. 
It  is  twelve  miles  long,  and  thickly  wooded ; 
at  one  point  in  passing  the  sky  was  absolutely 
darkened  by  a  great  cloud  of  sea-birds.  It  is 
now  10.15,  and  we  have  just  come  in  sight 
of  Fakarava,  so  I  shall  stop  till  we  have 
reached  it. 

Fakarava,  September  10. 

DO  you  remember  's  account  of  the 
great  architect's  visit  to  the  High 
School,  as  expounded  by  the  janitor?  It 
wound  up  with,  .  .  .  '  An'  when  he  cam  to 
the  ha',  he  jist  haddit  up  his  ban's,  an'  said, 
"  Atweel,  I  think  this  bates  a'  that  iver  I 
seed." ' 

This  fitly  expresses  our  thoughts  at  the 
sight  of  this  coral  island.  The  strip  of  land  is 
so  narrow  that  in  two  mimttes  we  can  walk 
from  one  side  to  the  other :  it  is  thickly 
wooded  with  cocoa-nut  palms,  for  no  other 
useful  tree  will  grow  in  this  hard  coral.  The 
lagoon  inside  is  thirty  miles  long  and  ten  wide  ; 
it  looks  like  an  inland  sea, — indeed  in  places 
the  shore  is  entirely  lost  to  sight.  It  is  very 
strange  to  walk  but  a  few  steps  across  from  the 
quiet  lagoon,  smooth  as  a  lake,  to  where  the 


148     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

great  surf  is  breaking  and  thundering  along  a 
coral  strand. 


Our  House  at  Fakarava, 
Paumotus  Islattds,  Septetnder  12,  1888. 

LOUIS  found  the  cabin  so  close  on  Sunday- 
night  that  he  thought  it  would  be  a 
good  plan  to  take  a  house  by  the  week,  so 
that  he  might  sleep  on  shore  ;  and  here  we 
are  in  a  dear  little  wooden  erection  of  three 
rooms,  with  a  verandah  front  and  back.  It 
is  one  of  the  best  houses  on  the  island  after 
the  Residency.  The  sitting  -  room  is  quite 
large  and  very  airy,  with  two  doors  opening 
on  the  verandahs,  two  windows  to  the  front, 
one  to  the  back,  and  one  at  the  far  end ;  the 
two  bedrooms  open  off  the  other  end,  and  all 
are  painted  white,  with  the  doors  and  windows 
panelled  in  blue.  In  the  sitting-room  there 
are  two  rocking-chairs,  four  round -backed 
chairs,  and  a  table,  and  no  less  than  three 
sewing-machines!  (what  a  pity  you  are  not 
here !)  There  are  also  two  brackets  on  the 
wall,  three  framed  pictures,  a  small  mirror, 
and  a  gun.     There  are  wooden  bedsteads  in 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     149 

the  bedrooms,  small  wardrobes,  basin-stands, 
and  so  on,  and  actually  a  copy  of  David 
Wilkie's  'Village  School'  framed  and  hang- 
ing up  in  one.  We  were  rather  afraid  of  the 
wooden  beds,  so  we  brought  ashore  our  mat- 
tresses from  the  Casco,  keep  them  in  the 
bedrooms  through  the  day,  and  at  night  bring 
them  out  and  spread  them  where  we  please. 
Usually  Louis  and  Fanny  take  the  front 
verandah,  Lloyd  the  back,  and  Valentine 
and  I  retire  to  different  corners  of  the  sitting- 
room,  leaving  both  doors  wide  open,  so  that 
there  is  plenty  of  air.  The  only  drawback  is 
mosquitoes,  but  one  can't  expect  absolute  per- 
fection in  this  world.  Our  house  stands  beside 
the  little  church,  but  the  priest  is  away  just 
now  and  there  is  only  a  native  catechist  left  in 
charge.  I  would  fain  go  to  the  service,  but 
twenty  minutes  to  six  a.m.  (when  the  bell 
rings)  is  rather  much  of  a  good  thing  in  the 
way  of  early  rising  for  me.  As  it  is,  the  sun 
wakes  us  soon  after  six,  and  we  make  break- 
fast with  the  help  of  a  paraffin  cooking-stove ; 
we  have  coffee,  soup,  bread-and-butter,  and 
marmalade.  For  lunch  and  dinner  we  return 
to  the  Casco. 


150    FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

There  is  quite  a  large  piece  of  ground  about 
our  house,  with  a  nice  white  fence  in  front  and 
a  wall  of  coral  on  the  other  sides  ;  there  are  a 
great  many  cocoa-nut  palms  in  it,  but  from  the 
gate  to  the  house  there  is  an  avenue  of  ban- 
anas, and  that  is  a  very  fine  thing  here,  as 
the  soil  for  them  has  all  to  be  brought  from 
Tahiti.^^  There  are  two  fig-trees  also  that  are 
said  to  bear  splendid  fruit. 

As  soon  as  we  cast  anchor  on  Sunday,  a 
M.  Donat  came  on  board  to  welcome  us  ;  he 
is  a  very  pleasant  man,  half  French  and  half 
Tahitian,  one  of  six  that  were  sent  to  France 
by  the  Government  for  their  education.  He 
afterwards  taught  himself  English,  'because 
the  English  had  been  so  kind  to  him,  and  he 
liked  them  so  much.'  The  Governor  is  away 
just  now  at  Raiatea,  where  the  war  is  going 
on,  and  has  left  M.  Donat  and  another  man, 
M.  Charles,  in  charge.  We  went  ashore  with 
M.  Donat,  who  gave  us  cocoa-nut  juice  in  the 
court-room,  showed  us  the  Residency  garden, 
which  was  made  by  bringing  more  than  three 
hundred  sacks  of  earth  from  Tahiti,  and  took  us 
across  the  island  to  show  us  the  best  place  on 
the  ocean-beach  for  finding  shells.    (This  is  the 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     151 

best  place  that  we  have  yet  seen  for  shells. 
There  are  many  varieties,  wonderfully  perfect 
and  unbroken,  and  we  are  making  quite  a 
collection.)  The  Governor,  he  told  us,  is 
obliged  to  live  on  this  small  island  of  Faka- 
rava,  because  it  has  the  only  safe  anchorage 
in  all  the  Paumotus ;  and  as  all  vessels  must 
present  their  papers  for  his  inspection,  he  must 
of  course  live  where  it  is  possible  for  them 
to  reach  him.  Most  of  the  people  who  live 
here  are  away  just  now  in  another  island 
where  they  also  possess  land,  and  where  they 
have  to  go  for  some  formality  about  register- 
ing their  titles. 

When  we  came  ashore  on  Monday  we 
found  all  the  natives  left  at  home  assembled 
on  the  beach  and  waiting  for  us,  with  M. 
Donat  to  act  as  interpreter.  They  wished  to 
say  that  they  had  brought  us  a  small  present 
according  to  their  custom,  and  hoped  we 
would  accept  it  ;  they  also  begged  that  we 
would  allow  them  to  come  on  board  and  see 
the  yacht.  Of  course  we  gratefully  accepted 
the  gifts  and  fixed  the  hour  of  2.30  on  Tuesday 
— the  next  day — for  their  visit  to  the  Casco, 
promising  to  send  a  boat  to  bring  them  out. 


152     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

The  people  here  are  much  darker  and  smaller 
and  not  nearly  so  handsome  as  the  Marquesans  ; 
but  it  is  only  fair  to  add  that  they  seem  to  be 
better  behaved.  For  instance,  the  Seventh 
Commandment  is  really  understood  and  re- 
spected amongst  them,  and  few  among  them 
will  drink  rum  to  excess,  even  when  they  have 
the  chance.  In  the  Marquesas  the  men  cared 
for  nothing  else,  and  the  gendarme  had  to 
warn  us  that  we  must  never  give  them  more 
than  one  glass,  however  much  they  might  beg 
for  it. 

Yesterday  the  twenty-one  natives  came  on 
board  accompanied  by  M.  Donat.  They  were 
of  all  ages,  from  an  old  lady  of  eighty  down  to 
a  dear  little  brown  baby  of  about  four  months 
old.  Louis  took  them  over  the  yacht,  which 
they  greatly  admired,  and  then  we  gave  them 
biscuits  and  jam  and  ginger-snaps,  and  to  the 
ladies  some  syrup  and  water,  while  the  men 
were  given  their  choice  between  that  and  rum. 
Several  at  first  took  rum,  but  the  syrup  was 
so  much  appreciated  that  they  all  changed 
their  minds  save  one  man  ;  and  when  the  syrup 
and  water  made  a  second  round,  Louis  thought 
the  '  rum '  man  also  might  like  to  taste  it  and 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     153 

offered  it  to  him.  He  refused  it,  however, 
enunciating  the  one  word  '  V  rum^  with  a 
decision  and  a  fervour  which  was  received 
with  admiring  laughter  by  the  whole  party. 
It  appears  that  the  French  admiral  was  lately 
at  Fakarava,  and  invited  all  the  natives  on 
board  his  vessel,  where  they  had  a  band  to 
play  to  them  while  they  danced.  Of  course 
we  thought  our  little  entertainment  would  fall 
very  flat  after  such  a  fine  one,  and  you  can 
fancy  how  much  we  were  amused  to  find  from 
M.  Donat  that  they  thought  that  ours  was 
much  grander,  because  we  gave  them  plates 
and  spoons  to  eat  their  jam.  The  admiral 
gave  them  sardines  and  other  good  things,  but 
left  them  to  eat  with  their  fingers  in  native 
style.  How  easily  we  are  pleased  with  any- 
thing that  we  are  not  accustomed  to !  And  it 
was  evidently  only  the  honour  of  the  thing 
that  was  appreciated,  too,  for  the  captain  saw 
most  of  the  boys  take  their  jam  in  the  spoon, 
but  deftly  convey  it  to  their  mouths  with  their 
thumbs !  Every  one  was  pleased,  however, 
and  that  was  the  great  point ;  but  it  is  un- 
fortunate that  they  all  speak  Tahitian  here,  so 
that   the   words   we   have   picked   up   in   the 


154     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

Marquesas  are  of  no  use  to  us.  We  have 
learned  only  one  word  of  salutation  in  this 
new  language,  '  euranna,"^'^  which  we  sing  out 
to  every  one  we  meet. 

Yesterday  was  a  lovely  day,  the  sea  per- 
fectly smooth,  and  exquisitely  reflecting  both 
the  land  and  sky.  The  Casco  was  for  the  first 
time  on  our  voyage  '  like  a  painted  ship  upon 
a  painted  ocean '  ;  and  the  little,  fleecy,  white 
clouds  in  the  sky  were  exactly  mirrored  in  the 
water.  We  could  see  the  white  coral  reefs  at 
the  bottom  distinctly,  and  the  sea  was  a  very 
tender  green  that  was  peculiarly  beautiful. 
Then  at  night  there  was  a  superb  moon,  and 
Fanny  and  I  sat  long  on  the  beach  to  enjoy  it, 
while  Louis  walked  up  and  down  playing  tunes 
on  his  pipes. 

I  wonder  if  I  told  you  that  there  is  not 
only  a  good  landing-pier  here,  but  actually 
a  harbour-light,  the  first  that  we  have  seen 
since  we  left  San  Francisco.  The  village 
street  is  entirely  shaded  by  cocoa-nut  palms, 
and  makes  at  all  times  a  delightful  promenade; 
but  at  night,  when  there  is  a  slight  breeze 
blowing,  the  dancing  shadows  of  the  leaves 
in    the   moonlight   are    something    absolutely 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     155 

fairy-like.  Our  house  is  at  the  far  end,  quite 
twelve  minutes'  walk  from  the  pier ;  and  of 
course  there  are  no  horses  here,  indeed  no 
means  of  conveyance  of  any  kind  save  boats. 

M.  Donat  has  already  loaded  us  with  gifts. 
First  he  gave  us  each  a  pearl, '^^  the  captain 
included ;  mine  is  a  black  one.  Then  to 
Fanny  and  me  he  gave  a  small  double  oyster- 
shell  lined  with  gold,  and  a  gold  pearl  attached 
to  one  side.  He  has  also  given  us  a  whole 
boxful  of  pink  coral,  with  one  very  fine  piece 
attached  to  a  spray  of  grey,  and  a  boxful  of 
fine  shells,  some  of  them  of  the  kind  called 
'  benitiers '  with  branches  of  coral  growing  out 
of  them.  The  b^nitier  ^^  shells  get  their  name 
from  being  used  for  holy  water  in  the  churches; 
the  same  kind,  you  will  remember,  that  we 
used  to  have  for  Coolin  ^°  to  drink  out  of  in 
the  dear  old  days.  We  were  quite  distressed 
at  taking  so  much,  but  Fanny  fortunately  had 
a  ring  which  she  asked  him  to  send  to  his 
wife,  who  is  at  present  in  Tahiti. 


156     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

Thursday^  September  13. 

LOUIS  was  not  feeling  very  well  yester- 
day, and  wished  to  get  a  thorough  rest, 
so  Lloyd  and  I  returned  on  board  the  yacht 
and  left  him  and  Fanny  alone  in  peace  and 
quiet.  A  trading  schooner  came  into  the 
bay  ;  we  were  introduced  to  the  captain  by  M. 
Donat,  and  he  came  on  board  to  see  the  Casco, 
and  presented  us  with  four  pairs  of  very  fine 
pearl  shells  and  a  very  large  and  handsome 
'buckie,'  which  Mr.  Goltz  says  is  worth  ten 
dollars  at  Honolulu. 

A  strange  thing  happened  to  Louis  and 
Fanny  at  night.  The  catechist  (who  I  told 
you  is  at  present  in  charge  of  the  church) 
rushed  into  the  house,  and  began  trying  to  open 
a  large  chest,  which  I  forgot  to  include  in  the 
furniture  of  the  sitting-room.  When  he  found 
that  it  would  not  open,  he  produced  a  knife 
and  forced  the  lock ;  and  when  Louis  objected 
to  the  proceeding,  a  man  outside  in  the  ver- 
andah called  out  in  French  that  it  was  all 
right,  and  he  would  explain  immediately.  This 
turned  out  to  be  M.  Fran9ois,  the  proprietor 
of  our  house,  who  had  been  shipwrecked  with 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     157 

his  wife  and  little  son,  and  nearly  drowned. 
They  had  been  coming  from  the  other  end  of 
the  island  in  a  small  cutter,  when  in  some  way 
it  upset,  and  they  were  all  thrown  out.  They 
managed  to  get  the  boat  turned  right  side  up, 
but  it  was  so  full  of  water  that  they  could 
not  climb  into  it  without  upsetting  it.  M. 
Francois,  who  is  a  very  fine-looking  young 
fellow,  half  French  and  half  native,  was  in 
despair,  and  said  they  must  just  be  drowned  ; 
but  his  native  wife,  who  is  a  splendid  swimmer, 
declared  there  was  no  danger,  and  they  could 
take  the  boat  safely  in.  So  they  put  the 
child  into  the  boat,  and  the  father  and  mother 
followed  behind  pushing  it  by  the  tiller;  and 
this  they  did  from  8  a.m.  till  five  in  the  after- 
noon, when  they  reached  land  safe,  but  worn 
out  with  fatigue,  and  perishing  with  cold. 
Was  it  not  a  wonderful  feat  of  endurance  ? 
I  think  they  must  have  been  horribly  annoyed 
after  such  a  home-coming  to  find  their  nice 
little  house  in  the  hands  of  strangers,  but  they 
are  much  too  polite  to  acknowledge  it.  They 
have  just  been  on  board  to  visit  the  Casco,  and 
do  not  seem  at  all  the  worse  for  their  exer- 
tions ;  but  the  wonder  is  that  they  were  not 


158     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

eaten  by  sharks,  for  there  are  several  in  the 
bay.  Two  days  ago  one  was  swimming  round 
and  round  us  for  some  time,  an  ugly  fellow 
indeed ;  and  last  night  when  Lloyd  was  out 
fishing  with  the  captain  and  M.  Donat,  he  had 
a  very  large  fish  on  his  hook,  and  was  playing  it 
gently,  when  a  shark  came  up  and  carried  off  fish 
and  hook  and  line  at  one  fell  swoop.  I  think 
Lloyd  did  not  much  enjoy  the  fishing  after  that. 
One  disadvantage  of  a  yacht  is  that  every- 
thing must  be  kept  so  spick  and  span  about 
her  that  whenever  we  are  at  anchor  we  live 
in  a  chronic  state  of  house-cleaning.  All  the 
time  we  were  at  Anaho  it  was  going  on,  and 
here  again  we  are  being  repainted,  and  to-day 
two  natives  have  been  sitting  on  a  rope  in  the 
water  cleaning  the  copper.  Then  the  deck 
must  be  holystoned  again,  and  after  that  has 
been  done  we  have  to  wipe  our  boots  with 
our  pocket-handkerchief  before  we  venture  on 
board !  We  sometimes  threaten  to  go  our 
next  trip  in  a  trading  schooner  or  a  canal 
barge  in  order  to  escape  such  trying  tidiness. 
I  don't  mean  to  state  that  we  are  actually 
ordered  to  wipe  our  boots,  but  one  cannot  help 
entering  into  the  spirit  of  the  thing ! 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     159 

Monday,  September  17. 

YESTERDAY  we  attended  service  in  the 
native  church,  and  were  very  much 
interested.  It  was  at  9  a.m. — there  were  eight 
men  and  seventeen  women  present,  including 
two  babies  who  never  made  a  sound.  The 
catechist  was  dressed  in  a  black  gown  with 
a  small  cape  trimmed  with  lace  ;  he  looked 
very  ministerial,  I  thought.  The  service  was 
entirely  in  the  native  language,  and  the 
people  joined  in  most  of  it  with  great  interest : 
a  woman  acted  as  clerk,  and  led  the  singing, 
which  was  not  bad,  but  had  a  considerable 
nasal  twang,  which  reminded  me  of  Gaelic 
congregations  in  Arran  many  years  ago.  The 
sermon  came  last,  and  was  preached  with  great 
vigour,  and  with  much  graphic  and  telling 
gesticulations  ;  the  catechist,  Taniero,^^  seemed 
full  of  his  subject,  and  even  we  who  could 
not  understand  a  word  did  not  find  it 
wearisome.  It  reminded  me  of  an  Italian 
sermon  that  I  once  heard  and  enjoyed  at 
Genoa;  the  gestures  were  less  polished  and 
elegant,  but  had  just  the  same  convincing 
fervour.      It  was  touching  to  see  the  people 


i6o     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

about  us,  well-dressed,  attentive,  and  reverent, 
and  to  remember  how  lately  they  had  been 
redeemed  from  heathenism.  Louis  and  I 
were  both  greatly  and  deeply  moved.  The 
sermon  was  read  from  manuscript,  and  M. 
Donat  has  promised  to  get  at  least  a  part  of 
it  translated,  and  copied  out  for  us,  which  will 
be  very  interesting. 

In  the  afternoon  I  walked  on  past  our  house 
to  see  how  far  the  cocoa-nut  boulevard  ex- 
tended. I  followed  it  for  about  a  mile  further, 
and  then  it  quite  suddenly  came  to  an  end ;  so 
I  thought  I  would  cross  the  island  and  return 
by  the  ocean  beach.  However,  I  made  the 
discovery  that  some  parts  of  the  island  are 
broader  than  others,  for  after  forcing  my  way 
with  some  difficulty  through  the  trees  I  seemed 
no  nearer  the  other  side  than  when  I  started, 
and  came  at  last  to  such  very  thick  under- 
brush that  I  could  get  no  further,  and  was 
obliged  ignominiously  to  retrace  my  steps  and 
return  by  the  road.  The  sun  heat  is  much 
greater  here  than  it  has  been  in  any  other 
place,  and  we  are  warned  that  it  is  not  safe  to 
be  out  in  it  from  9  a.m.  till  3  p.m.  That  cuts  the 
day  very  short,  seeing  that  the  sun  sets  at  six 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     i6i 

o'clock,  but  we  can  walk  about  under  the  trees 
at  any  time,  and  we  almost  never  feel  the  need 
of  a  siesta.  I  am  always  awake  soon  after  six 
o'clock,  and  dressed  before  seven,  so  I  expect  to 
be  as  active  as  you  by  the  time  I  get  home  again  ! 

Tjiesday  morning. 

A  SCHOONER  has  just  come   into  the 
bay,  and  will   take  letters,  so  I    shall 
finish  this  and  send  it  off. 

Louis  was  better  yesterday,  and  would  have 
come  on  board  again,  but  Valentine  has  a  bad 
cold,  and  he  is  afraid  of  infection  ;  so  Lloyd 
will  stay  on  shore  as  man-of-all-work  to  look 
after  the  household.  Louis  is  trying  to  hire 
a  small  cutter  which  belongs  to  a  trader  here, 
to  go  and  see  two  of  the  neighbouring  islands 
that  have  not  good  enough  anchorage  for 
the  Casco ;  unfortunately  Captain  Smith,  the 
owner,  is  ill,  and  can't  go  himself,  and  he  has 
not  yet  made  up  his  mind  as  to  whether  he 
can  trust  his  cutter  to  any  other  person.  If 
we  do  not  arrange  this,  we  shall  start  very 
soon  for  Tahiti,  where  God  grant  I  may  get 
good  news  of  you  all.  I  do  long  so  much  for 
letters  after  these  three  months  of  silence  ! 

L 


i62     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

Yacht '  Casco^  Fakarava^  Paumoius  Islands^ 
September  1%  1888. 

LAST  Monday,  for  the  first  time  in  my  life, 
I  attended  a  funeral.  The  father  of 
one  of  the  men  who  had  been  cleaning  the 
bottom  of  the  Casco  on  Saturday  died  sud- 
denly on  Monday  morning,  and  we  heard  that 
the  funeral  was  to  take  place  at  4  p.m.  Louis 
was  anxious  to  see  it,  and  I  went  with  him. 
The  man  was  said  to  have  been  a  Mormon, ^^ 
but  on  inquiry  this  seems  to  mean  something 
very  like  a  Baptist,  with  this  new  and  peculiar 
difference  that  when  a  man  commits  sin  he  goes 
and  confesses,  and  is  then  baptized  over  again !  ^^ 
The  coffin  was  made  of  plain  deal,  and  was 
covered  with  a  white  cloth.  It  was  carried  by 
four  men  by  means  of  thick  poles  resting  on 
their  shoulders,  from  which  the  coffin  was  sus- 
pended by  ropes.  Most  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  village  followed  in  their  ordinary  attire. 
Last  of  all,  I  was  touched  to  see  the  poor 
old  widow,  carrying  the  mat  on  which  her 
husband  had  died,  and  which  was  now  to 
cover  his  grave.  The  proper  minister  was 
away,  but  a  layman  read  the  service  very  nicely 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     163 

SO  far  as  we  were  able  to  judge.  He  read  the 
fourteenth  chapter  of  Job,  gave  a  short  address, 
and  two  short  prayers,  all  very  quietly  and 
with  reverence.  It  is  the  custom  here  for  the 
nearest  relatives  to  pass  the  first  fortnight  on 
the  grave,  but  on  this  occasion  it  was  rendered 
impossible  by  the  downpour  of  rain.  Every- 
thing was  conducted  with  proper  solemnity, 
and  one  could  not  feel  that  there  was  anything 
strange  or  unusual  about  it.  I  went  to  see 
the  grave  afterwards,  and  found  it  carefully 
covered  with  the  mat,  which  was  held  down  by 
large  stones  placed  at  each  corner. 

I  think  I  forgot  in  my  last  letter  to  tell  you 
that  the  catechist's  name  is  Taniera  Mahinui\ 
Taniera  being  the  native  rendering  of  Daniel. 
He  is  in  and  out  of  our  house  continually, 
and  often  shares  our  meals ;  and  to-day  I 
went  twice  to  church  to  hear  him,  and  quite 
enjoyed  it.  I  was  delighted  to  find  that  the 
Bible  is  so  much  used,  and  one  printed  in 
London,  moreover ;  and  then,  of  course,  a^j 
Taniera  is  only  a  catechist  he  cannot  celebrate 
Mass,  so  I  never  feel  that  I  am  in  a  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  but  rather  in  a  Gaelic  one  in 
our  own  Highlands. 


1 64     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

September  26.     At  sea,  on  our  way  to  Tahiti. 

ON  Monday  we  said  good-bye  to  all  our 
good  friends  at  Fakarava,  and  gave 
them  a  few  farewell  gifts.  One  of  these  was 
a  bag  of  flour,  that  was  immediately  baked 
into  small  loaves,  tied  up  with  strips  of  cocoa- 
nut  leaf,°*  and  distributed  among  all  the  in- 
habitants equally.  When  the  captain  and  I 
went  ashore,  we  found  Taniera  sitting  with 
Louis  in  his  working  clothes — he  is  a  boat- 
builder  by  trade, — which  consist  of  blue  cotton 
trousers,  and  an  apron  with  a  bib,  leaving  an 
ample  stretch  of  brown  satin  skin  exposed  to 
view.  What  wonderful  skins  they  all  have, 
by  the  way !  Lloyd  introduced  him  to  the 
captain,  saying,  *  This  is  the  clergyman  of  the 
district ;  you  must  shake  hands  with  him ' ; 
and  I  must  say  the  designation  and  the  attire 
did  make  a  very  ludicrous  combination. 
When  we  took  leave  of  Taniera,  Lloyd 
wanted  to  give  him  a  good  present,  and  the 
only  thing  left  that  we  could  reasonably  do 
without  was  a  little  carriage-clock  that  I  had 
bought  in  New  York ;  it  had  a  leather  case, 
and    kept   excellent    time,    and    was   really  a 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     165 

wonder  for  its  price.  It  had  originally  been 
intended  for  giving  away ;  but  as  all  our 
watches  have  learnt  Kanaka  habits  and  have 
refused  to  work  in  the  tropics,  we  have  found 
the  little  clock  too  useful  to  us  to  be  parted 
with.  However,  after  an  internal  struggle 
which  I  own  was  severe,  my  respect  for  the 
church  carried  the  day,  and  Taniera  became 
its  happy  possessor. 

M.  Donat,  kind  man  that  he  is,  has  con- 
tinued to  load  us  with  ofifts  during-  the  whole 
time  that  we  have  been  here ;  almost  every 
day  he  sent  cocoa-nuts  both  to  our  house  and 
to  the  Casco,  and  we  have  so  many  pearl- 
shells  that  we  begin  to  think  we  shall  have  to 
pay  duty  on  them.  '  T'rum '  was  the  messenger 
generally  sent  to  deliver  the  gifts,  and  he  was 
very  fond  of  coming,  as  he  got  a  taste  of  his 
favourite  beverage  to  make  up  for  his  trouble. 
We  always  called  him  '  T'ruju ' — indeed  I  do 
not  remember  ever  hearing  his  real  name — 
and  he  always  appeared  to  be  freshly  delighted 
each  time  that  we  did  so.  He  evidently  looked 
upon  it  as  a  very  humorous  and  pleasing  com- 
pliment. Yesterday  morning,  at  7  a.m.,  he 
accompanied  M.  Donat  on  board  to  say  good- 


1 66     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

bye,  and  we  could  see  them  standing  side  by 
side  on  the  pier  till  we  were  almost  out  of 
sight ;  it  was  strange  to  feel  that  both,  in 
their  degree,  had  grown  to  be  good  friends 
to  us.  There  was  much  saluting  with  flags 
and  waving  of  hats  and  handkerchiefs  as  we 
stood  out  from  the  shore,  and  the  Sunday  flag 
was  even  hauled  up  to  do  us  especial  honours. 

We  had  a  good  wind  that  suited  us  very 
well,  and  got  out  of  the  lagoon  very  quickly ; 
we  then  passed  Toau  and  Mau,  two  more  of 
the  Paumotus  group,  and  that,  I  suppose,  is  the 
last  that  any  of  us  will  see  of  any  of  them.  To 
come  to  a  place  so  shut  into  the  midst  of 
waters,  to  live  in  it,  grow  wonderfully  at  home 
in  it,  and  then  to  leave  it  so  utterly  behind,  is 
almost  painfully  dreamlike.  I  wonder  if  in  my 
sleep  I  shall  walk  in  the  shade  of  the  cocoa- 
palms,  and  hear  once  more  the  surf  breaking 
on  the  ocean  beaches.  .  .  . 

We  expected  to  reach  Papeete  to-day,  but 
the  wind  fell,  and  now  I  believe  we  cannot 
hope  to  arrive  before  to-morrow  ;  and  that  will 
be  thirteen  weeks  to  a  day  since  we  left  San 
Francisco.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  Louis  has 
never  been   quite  well    since    his  unfortunate 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     167 

excursion  \f\\h  Frere  Michel  in  Hiva-oa;  and 
on  Monday  when  he  returned  on  board  he  got 
a  fresh  chill  and  had  a  threatening  of  con- 
gestion similar  to  what  he  had  at  Nice.  He 
was  pretty  bad  all  yesterday,  but  I  am  glad  to 
say  that  to-day  he  seems  a  good  deal  better 
and  is  on  the  sofa,  where  he  looks  much  more 
restful  and  comfortable  than  in  the  low  and 
narrow  berth.  We  are  thankful  to  be  going 
to  a  place  where  we  can  get  a  doctor  if 
we  need  one,  and  also,  where  we  can  get 
fresh  food ;  for  we  could  not  beg,  borrow, 
nor  steal  even  such  a  thing  as  an  Q.gg  at 
Fakarava.  By  the  way,  did  you  ever  hear 
of  such  a  thing  as  two  hens  attending  on 
one  family  of  chickens  ?  There  was  a  hen- 
house in  our  garden  at  Fakarava,  furnished, 
when  we  took  possession,  with  two  hens  sit- 
ting, the  one  on  seven  eggs,  the  other  on  none. 
In  due  time  the  seven  little  chickens  came  out, 
and  we  suppose  that  the  mother  engaged  the 
other  hen  as  lady-help ;  for  she  immediately 
forsook  her  own  nest  and  devoted  herself  to 
the  care  of  the  precious  nurslings,  but  quite 
evidently  in  a  subordinate  position.  The  two 
hens  and  the  seven  chickens  were  always  to  be 


1 68     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

seen  in  a  body,  and  the  best  understanding 
seemed  to  prevail ;  but  we  observed  on  one 
occasion,  when  a  shower  came  on,  that  the 
nurse  was  given  the  larger  share  of  the 
chickens  to  protect  from  the  wet. 

Papeete ^^  September  29. 

WE  came  in  sight  of  Tahiti  at  daybreak 
on  Thursday,  and  I  was  on  deck 
before  seven  to  see  all  that  was  to  be  seen. 
The  mountains  are  high  and  undeniably  fine 
in  form  and  outline,  but  by  no  means  so 
beautiful  nor  so  richly  wooded  as  the  high 
peaks  of  Hiva-oa ;  I  am  told  that  the  altitude 
here  is  greater,  but  they  give  a  punier  impres- 
sion. There  is  a  fringing  reef  of  coral  all 
round  the  island,  with  entrances  here  and  there 
marked  by  red  and  white  buoys ;  but  as  soon 
as  we  drew  near  a  pilot  boarded  us  and  brought 
us  into  Papeete  Bay,  where  we  cast  anchor 
about  noon.  Lloyd  and  the  captain  went  off 
at  once  to  the  American  consul  for  letters, 
which  we  were  all  lonoingf  to  receive  :  but  to 
my  surprise  and  chagrin  there  were  no  more 
than  three  for  me,  and  of  those  only  one  was 
from  you.      It  contains  good  news  of  you  all, 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     169 

however,  and  I  am  thankful  to  have  it ;  and  as 
another  mail  is  daily  expected,  and  indeed  is 
already  overdue,  I  may  get  another  from  you 
very  soon. 

Fanny  and  I  went  on  shore  to  look  for 
rooms  for  Louis  and  her,  and  found  some  in 
the  Hotel  de  France,  where  they  will  be 
tolerably  comfortable.  It  is  rather  noisy  at 
night,  however,  and  if  this  disturbs  Louis  they 
will  probably  move  to  a  small  wooden  house 
of  five  rooms  and  an  outside  kitchen  which  we 
also  discovered.  It  is  unfurnished,  so  we  shall 
have  to  hire  what  is  necessary,  but  mattresses, 
pans  and  dishes,  etc.,  can  of  course  be  taken 
from  the  Casco,  as  we  did  at  Fakarava. 

September  30. 

THIS  morning  I  set  off  for  church,  hoping 
for  an  English  service ;  but  alas !  the 
minister  was  ill  and  the  church  was  closed, 
which  was  a  great  disappointment.  It  appears 
that  there  has  been  an  epidemic  of  influenza 
here  lately ;  it  was  brought  from  Chile,  and 
was  of  a  very  severe  type ;  ^^  and  we  are 
inclined  to  believe  that  Louis  was  somehow 
infected  with  it  at  Fakarava.     His  cough  was 


I70     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

SO  bad  yesterday  that  we  sent  for  the  doctor, 
who  prescribed  some  medicine  for  him  that 
certainly  gave  him  a  quiet  and  fairly  com- 
fortable night.  It  is  terribly  vexing  to  us 
all,  when  we  remember  how  well  he  was 
before  this,  but  I  trust  he  will  soon  throw 
it  off. 

I  don't  much  like  Tahiti.  It  seems  to  me 
a  sort  of  halfway  house  between  savage  life  and 
civilisation,  with  the  drawbacks  of  both  and 
the  advantages  of  neither.  Also  a  disagreeable 
feature  of  the  place  is  the  prevalence  of  land- 
crabs.^^  The  ground  is  literally  riddled  with  the 
large  holes  made  by  them  :  when  you  turn  a 
quiet  corner  you  come  upon  twenty  or  thirty 
all  looking  out  of  their  doors,  but  as  soon 
as  they  hear  any  one  coming,  they  scuttle 
in  at  express  speed.  They  are  decidedly 
ugly-looking  customers,  though  I  believe  even 
more  anxious  to  avoid  us  than  we  are  to  keep 
clear  of  them.  This  afternoon  I  watched  a  big 
fellow  dragging  a  large  withered  leaf  after  him, 
which  with  no  little  difficulty  he  succeeded  in 
packing  into  his  hole,  I  suppose  to  make  a 
bed  of.  He  was  very  busy,  and  I  watched  him 
with  a  sort  of  disgusted  fascination.  .  .  .  Louis's 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     171 

illness,  of  course,  depresses  us  all,  and  keeps 
us  from  seeing  much  or  having  any  desire  to 
do  so.  Lloyd  has  attended  to  those  duties  that 
could  not  well  be  put  off.  He  called  on  King 
Pomare,  but  missed  him ;  on  the  governor, 
who  kindly  promised  to  lend  us  horses  when 
we  need  any ;  and  also  on  the  officers  of  the 
Scorpion,  the  French  man-of-war  lying  in  the 
bay.  Two  of  them  have  since  returned  the 
call  and  were  very  polite,  but  they  were  amazed 
when  I  assured  them  that  I  enjoyed  being  at 
sea,  and  seemed  to  think  it  most  unnatural :  no 
Frenchwoman  had  ever  been  heard  of  who 
could  endure  it ! 

Louis  and  Fanny  moved  to  the  small  house 
I  spoke  of  on  Monday  last.  We  hired  a  bed, 
a  few  chairs  and  tables,  and  a  lamp,  and  took 
over  some  dishes,  etc.,  from  the  Casco.  You 
would  be  surprised  to  see  how  comfortable 
they  are,  under  the  circumstances.  But  the 
cold  is  still  troublesome,  and  I  grieve  to  say 
that  the  last  two  days  there  have  been  slight 
threatenings  of  hsemorrhage — nothing  to  be 
called  serious,  but  still  it  is  always  alarming 
and  distressing.  Of  course  we  can  make  no 
plans  until  he  is    better,   and   when   we   may 


172     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

reach  Honolulu  and  get  the  letters  that  must 
be  there  awaiting  us,  who  can  tell  ? 

Louis's  little  house  is  just  opposite  the 
English  consul's ;  next  to  that  is  the  native 
church  ;  and  next  that  again  the  old  prison, 
now  in  ruins,  in  which  Herman  Melville  and 
the  'long  doctor'  were  confined,  as  you  will 
remember,  if  you  have  read  077Z7(a.^^  I  wonder 
if  you  have  been  able  to  get  it.  The  consul  is 
a  Mr.  Talbot,  a  very  nice  man,  but  unfortun- 
ately for  us  he  leaves  by  the  steamer  that  will 
carry  this  letter  to  you.  He  has  told  Fanny 
that  she  may  take  anything  she  likes  out  of  his 
kitchen  when  he  leaves,  and  we  are  going  over 
to-morrow  to  see  what  might  be  useful.  It  has 
been  arranged  also  that  for  the  present  either 
Lloyd  or  Valentine  will  sleep  on  shore,  so  as 
to  be  at  hand  to  help  in  case  Louis  should  be 
ill  through  the  night. 

There  are  but  two  roads  on  the  island,  it 
appears :  one  that  goes  all  the  way  round  the 
coast,  and  another  that  passes  up  by  a  valley 
into  the  interior.  I  have  had  only  one  drive 
as  yet,  for  our  time  seems  to  be  mostly  taken 
up  with  running  backwards  and  forwards 
between    the   house   and   the    yacht ;    besides 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     173 

which,  Lloyd  and  I  are  busy  making  a  type- 
written copy  of  Louis's  diary,  and  this  fills  up 
the  entire  mornings.  There  are  some  very 
fine  avenues  of  trees  in  and  round  the  town. 
Mangoes  abound,  some  of  them  very  large, 
fine  trees,  with  beautiful  dark-green  foliage 
and  heavy-laden  with  fruit,  growing  very 
prettily  in  huge  bunches  hanging  on  amber- 
coloured  threads.  Pineapples,  too,  are  begin- 
ning to  be  very  plentiful,  and  are  very  good 
in  quality. 

I  found  the  native  church  open  last  Friday 
and  went  in  for  a  short  time  :  it  was  a  fast-day 
service,  and  the  church  was  filled  with  a  very 
well-behaved  congregation.  A  native  minister 
was  preaching,  but  he  was  entirely  wanting 
in  the  energy  and  conviction  which  made  the 
Fakarava  catechist  so  interesting  to  watch,  so, 
as  I  heard  that  the  services  were  very  long,  I 
did  not  venture  back  again  on  Sunday. 

October  13. 

I  AM  thankful  to  say  that  Louis  is  keeping 
much  better.  He  has  been  out  for  the 
last  three  days,  and  he  says  he  does  not  feel 
nearly  so  weak  as  he  expected  after  this  severe 


174     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

illness  ;  he  has  even  been  twice  to  the  hotel  for 
dinner,  though  usually  he  and  Fanny  have  their 
meals  sent  in  to  them. 

Our  minds  being  easier,  we  are  now  grow- 
ing more  interested  in  our  surroundings.  I 
have  only  once  had  a  drive  since  we  arrived, 
and  that  was  the  first  since  I  left  San 
Francisco ;  but  this  week  we  mean  to  have 
a  drive  every  day,  to  see  something  of  the 
island.  On  Friday  Captain  Otis,  Lloyd,  and 
I  went  in  a  small  tug-steamer  to  the  island 
of  Eimeo.^^  We  took  some  lunch  with  us  to 
eat  under  the  trees,  and  the  native  who  carried 
our  basket  brought  us  four  cocoa-nuts,  and  a 
roasted  crayfish  as  large  as  a  lobster  and  very 
good,  to  add  to  the  repast.  The  gendarme  in 
residence  wanted  us  to  dine  with  him,  though 
he  was  having  a  party,  as  it  happened,  and  a 
very  nice  native  offered  us  the  use  of  his 
very  nice  house — he  himself  was  one  of  the 
gendarme's  guests, — but  we  preferred  our  pic- 
nic and  stuck  to  our  own  plans.  The  island  is 
very  beautiful,  with  strangely-shaped  moun- 
tains, that  remind  me  of  the  Giant's  Causeway, 
but  still  none  of  us  would  allow  that  it  came 
up  to  the  Marquesas  ;  we  are  faithful  still,  and 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     175 

I  think  I  always  shall  be,  to  our  first  love 
in  the  South  Seas.  The  little  steamer  that 
carried  us  there  and  back  was  filthily  dirty, 
and  we  were  all  glad  to  get  *  home '  to  our 
own  clean,  bright  Casco  once  more,  and  told 
the  captain  we  should  never  again  grumble  at 
any  amount  of  wet  paint  and  varnish ! 

It  may  be  nearly  Christmas  before  this 
reaches  you,  and  I  know  that  you  will  not 
forget  to  think  of  me.  Do  not  feel  my  place 
empty,  for  I  shall  be  there  in  thought,  and 
in  my  heart  I  shall  see  you  all,  as  you  will 
see  me.  .  .  . 


Yacht '  Casco,'  Papeete  Bay,  Tahiti, 
October  19,  1888. 


I  WONDER  if  you  will  be  able  to  believe 
that  this  is  a  letter  from  me  ?  Lloyd  and 
I  have  finished  making  the  copy  of  Louis's 
diary,  and  it  occurred  to  me  it  might  be  a 
good  thing  to  have  another  typewriter  in 
the  family  :  so  I  took  my  first  lesson  yester- 
day, and  in  order  not  to  waste  time  I  mean 
to  practise  upon  you.  A  printed  letter,  how- 
ever, does  look  so  public  and  impersonal  that 


176     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

it  seems  almost  impossible  to  take  it  au  s^rieux. 
I  wonder  if  anybody  would  venture  to  make 
a  proposal  of  marriage  by  means  of  a  type- 
writer, and  still  more  do  I  wonder  whether 
any  one  would  be  brave  enough  to  accept  it ! 

I  am  glad  to  tell  you  that  Louis  keeps 
much  better.  He  has  been  to  lunch  at  the 
hotel  several  times,  and  has  also  called  on 
the  governor,  and  yesterday  he  even  took  a 
short  drive.  We  had  thought  of  taking  a 
drive  right  round  the  island ;  this,  however, 
we  gave  up,  for  we  did  not  like  to  be  away 
four  days  from  Louis,  and  it  would  have  been 
out  of  the  question  for  him.  So  we  decided 
on  some  short  drives  instead,  but  there  is  not 
much  variety,  as  there  are  only  two  driving 
roads. 

October  20. 

I  THINK  I  did  not  tell  you  that  when  I 
was  in  the  native  church  a  lady  intro- 
duced herself  to  me.  Her  name  is  Mrs.  Darsie, 
and  she  was  the  daughter  of  the  queen,  or 
'chieftess,'  as  the  French  call  her,  of  the  other 
side  of  the  island,  was  first  married  to  a  Mr. 
Brander,  and  then  to  Mr.  Darsie,  who  hails 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     177 

from  Anstruther,  no  less !  Two  of  her  sons 
by  her  first  marriage  were  educated  at  St. 
Andrews,  and  know  many  of  our  friends  there. 
We  went  yesterday  to  see  them  at  their 
country  house  at  Point  Venus,'^'^  about  eight 
miles  out  of  the  town  :  the  drive  was  delight- 
ful, through  woods  and  over  mountains,  from 
which  we  had  lovely  views  of  sea  and  land. 
We  first  went  to  see  the  tamarind-tree  planted 
by  Captain  Cook ;  it  has  been  dead  for  a  long 
time,  and  has  been  taken  possession  of  by 
the  proprietors  of  a  sort  of  public-house  near 
by,  called  'a  rarbre  de  Cook.''  We  carried  off 
a  little  piece  of  the  tree,  which  is  fast  going 
to  decay,  and  which  is  quite  unprotected  and 
exposed.  We  then  visited  the  lighthouse,  the 
first  we  have  seen  since  we  left  San  Francisco 
(saving,  of  course,  the  little  harbour  light  at 
Fakarava,  but  that  is  a  different  matter) ;  it 
is  a  fine  building  of  grey  coral,  mixed  with 
a  pretty  red  stone,  which  looks  very  well 
and  effective.  We  then  went  to  the  Darsies' 
house,  which  stands  in  the  midst  of  laroe 
grounds,  close  to  the  sea,  and  found  there 
a  large  and  pleasant  family  party  assembled, 
consisting    of    Salmons    (Mrs.    Darsie    was    a 

M 


178     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

Miss  Salmon),  Branders,  and  Darsies,  in  what 
proportion  we  never  entirely  found  out.  Nearly- 
all  the  men  were  good-looking,  and  the  women, 
I  think  without  a  single  exception,  beautiful : 
even  a  small  strain  of  Tahitian  blood  is  said, 
I  believe,  to  ensure  this  wonderful  physical 
perfection  and  the  grace  of  manner  for  which 
they  are  always  so  much  admired. 

The  Darsies'  town  house  is  just  a  little  out- 
side of  Papeete,  at  the  end  of  a  lovely  avenue  : 
it  seemed  to  be  a  large  place,  and  to  have  a 
beautiful  garden,  but  when  we  called  there  we 
found  they  had  gone  to  Point  Venus,  and 
hence  our  expedition  thither.  Of  course,  you 
know  that  it  is  so  called  because  Captain  Cook 
observed  from  thence  the  transit  of  Venus. 

October  21. 

MRS.  DARSIE  called  to  see  Louis  yes- 
terday, and  I  am  so  sorry  we  did  not 
know  her  sooner,  as  she  could  have  given  us 
so  much  useful  information  about  Tahiti.  She 
told  me  a  great  deal  about  the  missionaries. 
She  herself  was  brought  up  by  one,  and  has 
had  much  to  do  with  them.  The  people,  she 
says,  were  fond   of  the  English   missionaries, 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     179 

and  felt  very  much  having  to  part  with 
them ;  but  they  get  on  well  with  their  present 
minister,  who,  though  he  is  a  Frenchman, 
follows  the  same  methods.  The  Protestants 
keep  well  together,  and  very,  very  few  have 
become  Roman  Catholics,''^  in  spite  of  many 
inducements  to  do  so.  Fortunately  the  present 
Governor  is  a  liberal  man,  and  lets  the  people 
please  themselves  about  religious  matters  ;  and 
though  many  are  indifferent  and  care  for  no- 
thing but  '  show '  and  amusement,  there  are 
also  many  who  are  intelligent  and  sincere. 
Mrs.  Darsie  has  a  sort  of  Scripture  class  for 
the  natives  every  Sunday  in  her  own  house : 
they  prepare  a  text  and  talk  about  it,  and 
she  tells  me  that  she  is  often  not  only  touched, 
but  surprised  by  their  remarks.   .   .  . 

We  hope  to  get  off  to-morrow  about  noon, 
but  Louis  and  Fanny  will  not  come  on  board 
till  the  morning.  On  the  whole,  we  are  not 
at  all  sorry  to  leave,  as  we  have  none  of  us 
been  greatly  attracted  by  this  place.  As  I 
have  said  before,  it  is  neither  quite  civilised 
nor  wholly  savage,  but  has  a  sort  of  half-and- 
half-ness  that  is  disappointing,  and  sometimes 
really  displeasing.     I  think  the  bay  is  the  best 


i8o     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

part  of  Papeete.  The  view  of  the  mountains 
and  town  from  the  deck  of  the  Casco  is  lovely, 
especially  in  the  mornings  and  evenings ;  the 
highest  peak  is  seven  thousand  feet  high,  and 
the  land  begins  to  rise  steeply  very  close  to 
the  beach.  There  are  always  plenty  of  ships 
in  the  bay ;  most  of  the  time  we  have  lain 
here  there  were  two  men-o'-war,  and  it  amused 
me  to  watch  their  proceedings.  The  most 
interesting  moments  were  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning  and  six  in  the  evening,  as  at  these 
hours  the  flags  are  put  up  and  taken  down, 
and  the  manoeuvre  is  pretty.  On  Sundays 
there  was  an  extra  display,  as  every  vessel 
hoisted  a  flag,  and  the  Consulates  as  well. 
Some  have  specially  large  and  fine  flags  for 
Sunday  use,  and  others  put  up  an  extra 
number.  We  feel  ourselves  particularly  showy 
with  three  :  the  '  Stars  and  Stripes,'  because 
the  Casco  is  an  American  yacht ;  the  red 
ensign,  because  she  is  chartered  by  a  British 
subject;  and  the  flag  of  the  yacht  club  of  which 
Louis  was  made  a  member.  A  gun  is  fired 
on  board  the  man-of-war,  and  the  general 
ambition  is  to  get  all  the  flags  hoisted  at 
the   same   moment    and    without   a   hitch ;    it 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     i8i 

is  really  a  pretty  sight,  and  I  very  seldom 
missed  it. 

Another  amusement  of  which  I  never  tired 
was  watching  the  native  boats  coming  in  with 
fruit  for  the  market ;  they  looked  so  pretty 
piled  high  with  green  and  red  bananas,*^^  yellow 
mangoes,  bread-fruit,  the  ubiquitous  nuts,  long 
pieces  of  green  bamboo,  which  are  filled  with 
a  preparation  of  cocoa-nut, ^^  and  many  other 
things  nicely  wrapped  up  in  green  leaves.  I 
once  counted  fourteen  of  these  large  boats  all 
coming  in  at  one  time,  and  their  cargo,  when 
carefully  spread  out  on  the  beach,  looked  most 
tempting.  There  is  a  certain  daintiness  in  the 
native  fashion  of  always  laying  food  upon  fresh 
green  leaves,  and  I  must  say  that  in  spite  of 
the  lack  of  so  much  that  we  are  accustomed  to 
think  necessary,  neither  the  food  nor  their  way 
of  eating  it  ever  struck  me  as  unseemly  or 
unrefined. 

I  was  also  very  much  interested  in  watching 
the  fishermen,  of  whom  there  were  always 
several  in  their  canoes  round  about  the  Casco, 
as  they  thought  the  fish  would  be  attracted 
by  the  grease  from  the  yacht.  Sometimes 
there  would  be  half  a  dozen  boats  about  us, 


1 82     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

waiting  for  hours  with  the  patience  of  fisher- 
men the  world  over,  and  apparently  with  very 
indifferent  success.  Occasionally  Captain  Otis 
gave  them  presents  of  some  fishing  hooks, 
which  were  very  gratefully  received,  though 
I  am  told  they  are  very  clever  at  manufactur- 
ing them  out  of  some  kind  of  root,  or  out  of 
old  nails/*  I  have  often  regretted  that  Louis 
missed  all  these  sights,  which  he  would  have 
enjoyed  as  much  as  I  ;  but  nothing  could  be 
seen  from  the  house  they  occupied,  as  it  stood 
amongst  many  trees  some  way  from  the  beach, 
and  lost  the  light  early. 

Sunday^  October  28. 

MY  typed  letter  was  but  a  slow  and 
uneasy  business,  so  to-day  I  have 
gone  back  to  the  more  familiar  and  personal 
pen.  .  .  .  We  did  not  get  away  from  Papeete 
till  Wednesday  the  24th,  and  at  the  last 
moment  Louis  made  up  his  mind  to  visit 
another  part  of  Tahiti  called  Ta7'avao  before 
going  on  to  Huahine  in  the  Societies.  We 
had  a  disagreeable  voyage,  first  a  dead  calm, 
and  then  a  severe  gale,  and  we  took  thirty 
hours    to    cover   sixty    miles ;    but    now    that 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     183 

we  are  here,  it  is  worth  it  all,  for  the  scenery 
is  beautiful  and  much  more  truly  tropical  than 
anything  we  have  yet  seen.  On  Friday, 
Fanny,  Captain  Otis,  Lloyd,  Valentine,  and 
I  went  for  a  charming  drive  to  a  village  a  few 
miles  from  here ;  we  all  enjoyed  it  immensely, 
for  we  drove  through  dense  forests  nearly  all 
the  way.  I  never  saw  anything  like  the 
wealth  of  foliage  ;  great  trees  were  draped  to 
the  very  top  with  beautiful  tangled  creepers, 
some  of  them  covered  with  fruit  as  large  as 
a  vegetable  marrow.  This  fruit  is  called 
'  barbadine,'*^^  and  is  excellent  to  eat.  We 
were  at  no  time  far  from  the  sea,  and  some- 
times there  were  exquisite  glimpses  of  blue 
water  between  the  trunks  of  the  trees ;  but 
more  often  we  were  shut  in  by  a  very  riot 
of  vegetation.  On  our  way  we  had  to  cross 
no  less  than  twenty-one  streams  of  varying 
width ;  one  of  them  being  so  deep  that,  rather 
to  our  dismay,  the  Chinaman  who  drove  us 
insisted  on  carrying  over  Fanny,  the  captain, 
and  Lloyd,  on  his  back,  so  as  to  lighten  the 
weight  on  the  horses.  It  was  a  relief  to  find 
that  Valentine  and  I  were  considered  lio^ht 
enough  to  be  allowed  to  remain  in  the  vehicle. 


1 84     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

The  village  of  Tautira,'^'^  when  we  reached 
it,  we  found  to  be  indeed  a  lovely  spot,  with 
numbers  of  very  fine  native  houses  scattered 
about  a  beautiful  green  lawn  close  to  the  sea. 
There  are  two  churches,  a  Roman  Catholic, 
and  what  our  driver  gravely  called  a  Roman 
Protestant  one.  It  appeared  that  we  had 
chosen  an  interesting  day,  for  the  king's 
sister-in-law  had  just  arrived  on  a  visit  to 
the  village,  and  we  saw  all  the  presents  that 
had  been  prepared  for  her.  They  consisted, 
in  the  main,  of  an  immense  pig  roasted  whole, 
and  a  large  number  of  pillows  stuffed  with 
silk  cotton, "^^  which  grows  in  pods  on  a  large 
and  fine  tree  that  is  very  plentiful  here.  As 
we  walked  through  the  village  we  saw  these 
things  laid  out  in  front  of  the  chief's  house, 
and  a  catechist  was  asking  a  blessing  on  them. 
We  stopped  and  assisted,  our  men  taking  off 
their  hats.  It  was  a  pretty  and  pleasant  sight, 
but  I  think    it  was   the  very  longest  '  grace ' 

I    ever   heard,  save    Dr. 's  at  the   Blind 

Asylum  Christmas  dinner,  very  many  years 
ago. 

As  we  walked  about  we  noticed  a  nice  little 
house  that  was  to  let,  which  we  thought  was 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     185 

worth  remembering  in  case  Louis  should  need 
to  go  ashore  again ;  for  he  is  hardly  well 
enough  for  the  yacht  yet,  I  am  sorry  to  say. 
He  can't  sleep  at  all  on  board.  Last  night  was 
a  particularly  bad  one,  and  left  him  so  worn 
out  that  Fanny  made  up  her  mind  to  set  off 
at  once  for  Tautira  before  he  should  get 
worse  ;  and  now  I  feel  very  anxious  about 
him  till  I  hear  how  he  has  stood  the  drive. 
Lloyd,  who  has  gone  with  them,  will  come 
back  to-morrow,  and  I  do  trust  he  will  bring 
me  good  news.  This  place  where  we  are  is 
not  suitable  for  Louis;  it  is  very  draughty, 
with  a  constant  but  unsteady  current  of  air 
blowing  down  between  the  mountains,  which 
made  it  impossible  for  him  to  be  on  deck  at 
all.  That  is  the  worst  thing  about  good 
anchorages  for  sailing  vessels ;  they  are 
generally  draughty,  as  of  course  if  too  shel- 
tered there  is  no  wind  to  take  you  in  or  out. 
This  is  a  fine  bay,  and  the  French  intend,  they 
say,  to  make  a  large  dock  for  warships  in  it. 
The  entrance  is  very  difficult,  first  through  the 
reef,  and  then  through  a  very  narrow  passage 
between  two  points  of  rock,  so  that  in  case 
of  any   disturbance    it   could   be    very   easily 


1 86     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

defended.  Meantime,  however,  there  are 
very  few  houses  to  be  seen,  and  no  church 
at  all. 

The  captain  had  to  go  back  to  Papeete 
to  look  for  a  new  sailor  in  place  of  one  who 
is  leaving  us.  We  have  had  a  good  many 
changes  in  the  crew  lately :  first  our  superior 
mate  had  to  go,  because  he  could  not  with- 
stand the  temptations  of  port,  and  was  con- 
tinually drunk ;  poor  old  man,  it  was  grievous 
to  see  him  ;  then  Wallin  and  Fred  had  to  be 
dismissed  ;  and  now  Charles  is  ill  and  must 
go.  They  say  it  is  what  always  happens  at 
Papeete,  so  that  no  ship,  or  rather  no  captain, 
likes  to  put  in  there.  I  don't  like  the  changes 
at  all.  Our  new  mate  is  a  Dutchman,  called 
Reuter,  and  we  have  one  Henry  from  Hono- 
lulu, Atta,  a  native  from  Papeete,  and  Jack, 
an  English  boy  who  went  to  New  Zealand 
as  a  stowaway. 

October  3 1 . 

I  AM  thankful  to  say  that  Lloyd  brought 
back  what  was  on  the  whole  very 
good  news  of  Louis.  He  stood  the  drive 
wonderfully     well     and     had     a     comfortable 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     187 

night  after  it,  which  was  more  than  we  ex- 
pected. The  house  was  very  clean  and  neatly 
furnished,  and  Louis  liked  the  place  much 
better  than  this.  The  chief  is  a  Salmon,  a 
cousin  of  Mrs.  Darsie's ;  he  is  an  educated 
man,  and  will  be  of  great  use  to  Louis. 

The  captain  also  has  come  back  from 
Papeete,  and  has  been  fortunate  in  getting  an 
excellent    man,  a  French-Canadian,  who  was 

formerly  mate  in  our  friend  Mr. 's  schooner, 

so  he  should  be  worth  having.  The  pilot  who 
brought  us  here  from  Papeete,  by  the  way,  is 
still  hanging  on  in  the  hope  of  taking  us  out 
again  ;  he  says  now  that  we  can  He  quite 
comfortably  and  safely  at  Tautira,  where 
Louis  is,  and  that  would  save  him  the  journey 
back.  So  very  probably  we  may  go  thither 
to-morrow  or  next  day.  To  get  there  we 
shall  have  to  sail  all  round  the  peninsula,*^^  so 
we  shall  see  a  good  deal  of  Tahiti  before  we 
are  done  with  it.  The  captain  tells  me  that 
no  part  of  the  road  between  this  place  and 
Papeete  is  nearly  so  beautiful  as  the  road  to 
Tautira,  so  I  believe  we  have  really  had  the 
best  of  the  scenery.  Here,  at  any  rate,  there 
is   nothing   at   all    interesting,   and   very   few 


i88     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

houses.  Lloyd  and  I  went  for  a  walk  one 
day  to  explore  the  neighbourhood,  and  came 
upon  a  small  village  ;  we  went  into  one  house 
(there  is  nothing  that  pleases  the  natives  more 
than  to  do  so)  where  a  man  was  lying  upon 
some  mats  ill.  I  was  very  much  interested 
to  observe  that  two  chairs  were  slung  up  to 
the  roof.  They  were  evidently  looked  upon 
as  luxuries  to  be  kept  safely  out  of  the  way 
upon  ordinary  occasions.  One  of  the  men 
gave  Lloyd  some  of  the  food  that  they  were 
eating  :  it  was  a  sort  of  poi-poi  made  of  sweet 
potato,  taro,  and  cocoa-nut,  all  mixed  together. 
Lloyd  tasted  it  rather  cautiously,  but  declared  it 
was  very  good,  so  they  wrapped  up  some  more 
in  a  large  leaf  and  insisted  on  his  taking  it  away 
with  him.  On  our  way  home  a  little  later,  the 
same  man  was  waiting  for  us,  and  presented 
us  with  a  pair  of  large  pearl  shells  quite  black 
inside.  We  are  told  they  are  valuable,  being 
very  rare.'^^ 

As  we  shall  be  altogether  beyond  the  reach 
of  mails  at  Tautira,  I  mean  to  send  this  letter 
from  here  to  Papeete.  There  is  a  chance  that 
it  will  get  home  sooner  than  if  I  wait  to  post 
it  at  Huahine ;  and  besides  there  is  always  a 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     189 

little  uncertainty  as  to  when,  and  whether,  we 
shall  get  there.  All  depends,  of  course,  upon 
Louis.  .  .  . 


Tautira,  Tahiti^ 

November  5,  1888. 

WE  left  Taravao  on  Friday  morning ; 
and  after  a  rough  and  rather  un- 
pleasant voyage  round  the  peninsula,  where 
every  one  on  board  was  more  or  less  ill  but 
myself,  we  cast  anchor  inside  the  reef  here 
at  8  A.M.  on  Saturday.  Lloyd  rode  over  on 
the  Friday,  partly  to  avoid  the  sail,  which  we 
expected  would  be  trying,  and  partly  to  have 
a  horse  for  the  pilot  to  ride  back  on ;  he  came 
off  in  a  canoe  to  meet  us  as  soon  as  we  arrived, 
and  brought  us  tolerable  accounts  of  Louis. 
He  is  delighted  with  his  surroundings  here, 
and  that  is  a  great  matter.  He  is  in  the  very 
midst  of  the  large  village,  and  the  life  of  it 
goes  on  all  around  him  ;  the  little  girls  even 
play  special  games  of  hopscotch — or  should 
I  call  it  hop-Tahiti  ? — before  his  window  to 
amuse  him.  The  chief,  who  lives  just  op- 
posite, has  been  most  kind,  and  Princess  Moe 


I90     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

(the  king's  sister-in-law,  who  arrived  the  day 
we  first  drove  over,  and  in  whose  honour  the 
great  pig  was  roasted)  has  been  really  de- 
voted in  her  attentions.  She  sometimes  cooks 
dishes  herself  specially  for  his  dinner,  and  the 
chief  carries  them  across  with  an  apron  on! 
One  night,  when  Louis  was  not  at  all  well,'^° 
she  could  not  sleep,  she  was  so  much  distressed 
about  him,  and  in  the  morning  she  insisted 
upon  his  moving  into  her  own  house,  which 
she  has  put  at  his  service  for  as  long  as  he 
likes.  One  reason  for  this  move  was  that 
she  thought  the  people  were  charging  a  great 
deal  too  much  for  the  house  he  was  in ;  and 
this  was  certainly  true,  as  the  one  at  Papeete 
was  just  half  the  rent,  and  that  was  '  in 
town.'  The  princess  is  a  delightful  creature, 
and  speaks  English  very  well  indeed ;  we 
believe  her  to  be  the  same  Queen  Moe  of 
Raiatea  spoken  of  in  a  recent  book  of  travel, 
and  after  seeing  her  we  think  it  was  rather 
familiar  to  speak  of  her  in  such  terms  as  we 
found  therein,  as  she  is  really  a  dignified  and 
imposing  personage.  She  has  gone  back  to 
Papeete  this  morning,  and  we  shall  all  miss 
her  very  much ;  she  came  on  board  the  Casco 


FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     191 

to  sit  awhile  with  me,  both  on  Saturday  and 
yesterday  evening. 

Yesterday  morning  I  went  to  service  at 
the  native  Protestant  church.  I  arrived  when 
they  were  in  the  middle  of  a  prayer,  and  just 
knelt  down  by  one  of  the  open  doors ;  but  as 
soon  as  the  princess  spied  me  out,  she  came 
and  took  me  into  her  own  seat.  The  church 
is  quite  a  large  one,  with  many  doors  and 
windows,  the  latter  fitted  with  something  like 
Venetian  blinds  instead  of  glass,  so  that  there 
is  plenty  of  air.  There  are  comfortable 
wooden  benches,  with  backs.  The  Communion 
Table  yesterday  was  all  set  ready,  and  com- 
pletely covered  over  with  a  white  cloth.  The 
native  minister  stood  in  front  of  the  table 
dressed  in  a  blue  and  white  pareu,  which  is  a 
piece  of  cotton  stuff  put  on  like  an  unplaited 
kilt,  a  rather  long  black  coat  and  white  tie, 
and,  of  course,  bare  feet.  It  was  a  little 
difficult  to  realise  that  he  was  the  minister ! 
I  regretted  the  nice,  proper-looking  gown  of 
Taniera  at  Fakarava ;  but  the  people  here 
are  Independents,  and  belong  to  the  London 
Missionary  Society.  The  service  was  very 
much  like  our  own  at  home  ;  the  singing  was 


192     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

led  by  the  women  of  the  congregation,  and 
the  minister  went  into  the  precentor's  box 
for  the  sermon,  but  never  entered  the  pulpit 
at  all.  I  wonder  whether  the  use  of  that  is 
kept  for  the  English  or  French  missionaries, 
and  it  is  tapu  for  the  natives. 

There  was  a  large  congregation,  and  as 
usual,  lots  of  babies  and  children  of  all  ages, 
many  of  them  lying  about  on  the  empty  floor- 
space  round  the  Communion  Table.  They 
were  rather  more  noisy  than  native  children 
usually  are,  and  once  two  naughty  boys  began 
a  game  at  ball ;  this,  however,  was  at  once  put 
a  stop  to  by  a  tall  man  who  rose  from  a  back 
bench,  and  the  ball  was  removed  by  one  of 
the  matrons.  After  the  sermon  two  babies 
were  brought  in  to  be  baptized.  One  of  them 
was  dressed  in  a  gorgeous  lace  robe,  with  a 
cap  of  lace  and  white  satin  ribbon,  such  as  I 
have  not  seen  for  many  a  long  year.  The 
baptismal  service  was  exceedingly  short  and 
simple  :  the  minister  took  the  baby  in  his 
arms,  asked  its  name,  and  at  once  baptized  it, 
pouring  three  good  handfuls  of  water  on  to 
its  face,  one  at  the  name  of  each  Person  of 
the  Trinity.     I  asked  the  princess  afterwards 


H^ 

^ 

^ 

^■k 

•■'^'Sir  ^Pt 

H 

^^^^IBk>^  ^fKi| 

1 

C  ..jm^^^^^^^^^ 

^^^^^^ 

1 

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m  ^'^ 

MteBi-,,.,,  , 

'.--•■■ '4  •    - 

'^^99 

My 

i  -m 

m 

•t  3^^m 

^K/'       ^^1 

^^^ 

■ 

V'-' V4U^^| 

U 

REV.    LEWIS    UALFOUK,    D.H. 
MINISTER   OF    COLINTON 

'■  A  Herd  of  men  " 

Me>Hoyks  aitd  Portraiis^  R.  L.  J>'. 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     193 

why  there  were  neither  any  questions  asked 
nor  promises  made ;  she  told  me  that  unfor- 
tunately the  babies  were  too  often  the  children 
of  unmarried  girls  who  were  not  church  mem- 
bers, and  the  missionaries,  being  driven  to 
despair  over  this,  had  at  last  made  it  a  rule 
that  when  any  church  member  brought  a  child 
to  be  baptized,  it  should  be  done,  and  no 
questions  asked.  It  seems  a  very  doubtful 
method,  but  it  is  supposed  to  prevent  alien- 
ating the  girls,  and  to  keep  the  children  under 
church  influence,  and  better  results  are  hoped 
for  with  time  and  training.  Certainly  the 
more  one  sees  and  hears  of  what  goes  on 
here,  the  more  one  can  understand  the  Indian 
system  of  early  marriages  ! 

When  the  christenings  were  over,  and  the 
princess  rose  to  leave  the  church,  I  asked  if 
there  were  not  to  be  Communion  ;  she  said  yes, 
and  inquired  if  I  wished  to  stay.  When  I 
said  that  I  did  wish  it  very  much,  she  at  once 
offered  to  introduce  me  to  the  minister,  as 
she  could  not  herself  stay  with  me  that  day. 
When  she  did  this  I  found  myself  most 
warmly  and  heartily  welcomed  ;  and  indeed 
I  found  it  very  touching  to  share  that  feast 
N 


194     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

with  these  brothers  and  sisters  so  recently 
rescued  from  heathendom.  When  the  cloth 
was  removed  from  the  Communion  Table,  it 
disclosed  the  wine  in  two  black  beer-bottles, 
and  the  cups  were  made  of  very  common 
earthenware,  that  sort  of  iridescent  coppery 
gold,  that  women  used  to  carry  about  the 
country  in  baskets  long  ago  in  Scotland.  The 
bread  was  baked  bread-fruit,  broken  into  very 
small  pieces.  The  service,  apart  from  these 
things,  was  all  that  one  could  wish,  and  much 
the  same  as  our  own,  except  that  the  bread 
and  wine  were  handed  separately  to  each 
communicant,  and  that  there  was  a  separate 
prayer  of  consecration  for  the  wine  after  the 
bread  had  been  handed  to  all.  This  seems  to 
me  to  follow  the  original  more  closely  than  we 
do,  and  it  brought  to  my  mind  a  line  of  the 
familiar  paraphrase,  '  And  God  anew  He 
thanked  and  praised.' 

When  the  service  came  to  an  end,  I  found, 
to  my  intense  surprise,  that  I  was  to  receive 
the  '  right  hand  of  fellowship '  from  every 
member  of  the  congregation.  First  of  all,  the 
ministers  and  deacons  came  forward  and  shook 
hands  most  warmly  with  me,  and  then  I  was 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     195 

invited  to  stand  at  the  door  and  shake  hands 
and  say  'Yuranna '  *  to  every  man  and  woman 
as  they  went  out.  (I  am  not  sure  how  to  spell 
that  word ;  I  mentioned  it  once  before,  at 
Fakarava,  where  it  is  also  the  general  greet- 
ing ;  but  here  it  is  pronounced  a  little  differ- 
ently.) I  felt  that  I  could  sympathise  for  once 
with  our  missionaries  at  home  when  they  find 
themselves  in  something  the  same  sort  of 
position.  The  enthusiasm  and  friendliness  of 
the  people,  however,  were  both  touching  and 
amusing ;  one  nice  old  lady  could  hardly  be 
prevented  from  dragging  me  off  bodily  to  her 
house.  The  next  thing  that  happened  was, 
that  they  deputed  the  chief  to  go  and  tell 
Louis  that  they  were  collecting  things  to  make 
a  feast  for  their  new  member,  and  that  these 
would  be  presented  to  me  at  nine  o'clock  on 
Monday  morning  at  Louis's  house.  When  in 
turn  Louis  told  this  to  me,  I  remarked,  *  Well,  I 
have  always  believed  that  ''Godliness  was  great 
gam,''  but  I  never  before  had  such  immediate 
proof  of  its  holding  good  even  in  this  world  ! ' 

Well,  I  went  ashore  this  mornino-  in  grood 
time,  and  by  and  by  we  saw  people  arriving 

*  See  note  47,  '  iao  ranua,' 


196     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

from  various  directions,  with  sticks  balanced 
upon  their  shoulders,  and  a  most  varied  assort- 
ment of  articles  slung  from  them.  When 
every  one  was  ready,  they  walked  forward  all 
together  and  laid  down  what  they  had  brought 
on  the  grass  in  front  of  our  verandah,  taking 
care  to  place  the  things,  we  noticed,  in  an 
orderly  semicircle,  and  arranging  each  offering 
to  look  as  tempting  and  beautiful  as  possible. 
Here  is  an  exact  list  of  the  £-atns  of  godliness 
in  Tautira  : — 

Six  hens,  one  dozen  eggs,  one  lobster,  one 
hundred  cocoa-nuts,  two  large  bunches  of  green 
bananas,  two  baskets  of  ripe  bananas,  two 
bunches  of  wild  bananas  for  cooking,"  one 
basket  of  sweet  potatoes,'"^  two  bundles  of 
tarOy^  two  bunches  of  bread-fruit,  .  .  .  and 
three  pineapples ! 

About  thirty  women  came  with  the  things, 
and  brought,  of  course,  the  usual  accompani- 
ment of  children,  and  we  had  another  great 
hand-shaking  all  round.  The  princess  had 
taught  me  to  say  '  Maururu  vmt,'  which  means 
'  I  thank  you,'  or  rather  '  Thank  you  from  me,' 
and  that  pleased  them  all  very  much.  The  chief 
was  present,  and  acted  as  interpreter ;  and  in 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     197 

my  name  invited  them  one  and  all  to  visit  me 
on  board  the  Casco  on  Wednesday  afternoon. 
I  shall  have  to  try  and  think  of  something 
that  I  can  give  them  in  return.  It  seems  to 
me  that  nothing  could  be  more  suitable  than  a 
set  of  Communion  vessels,  and  at  least  I  could 
afford  something  a  little  better  than  what  they 
have  at  present. ''^^ 


"4 


November  6. 

WE  had  a  deluge  of  rain  yesterday,  which 
came  through  the  skylight,  stopped 
my  writing,  and  drove  me  into  a  corner  for 
shelter.  .  .  .  Louis  is  fairly  well  again,  and  is 
able  to  go  out  for  a  little  walk  from  time  to 
time ;  but  he  is  terribly  thin  and  white,  and 
has  lost  all  the  fine,  healthy-looking  sunburn 
that  we  were  so  proud  of,  which  disappoints 
us  very  much.  Still  we  are  very  thankful  to 
see  him  so  far  better,  and  we  feel  that  the 
simple,  cheerful  life  here  has  helped  him  very 
much.  We  do  not  feel  so  much  shut  off  from 
the  people,  even  in  the  matter  of  language ; 
for  the  chief,  whose  name  is  Ariee  Teraimano, 
speaks  French  very  well,  though  he  does  not 
know  English.     He    is   a  good-looking  man, 


198     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

inclined  to  stoutness,  as  so  many  Tahitians  are, 
and  about  twenty-eight  years  old.  Two  sisters 
and  a  niece  live  with  him,  but  the  sisters 
unfortunately  only  speak  Kanak,  and  the  niece, 
who  does  know  French,  is  too  bashful  to  try 
to  speak  it.  Still  we  all  get  on  together  very 
well.  ...  I  think  now  it  is  likely  that  we 
shall  0:0  straight  from  here  to  Honolulu,  and 
give  up  our  visit  to  Huahine  in  the  Society 
Islands ;  we  have  lost  so  much  time  in  Tahiti, 
and  I  am  wearying  so  much  for  my  letters,  that 
I  shall  not  be  sorry  to  get  away.  You  can 
have  no  idea  how  homesick  I  am  for  news  of 
you  all. 

This  is  a  very  lovely  place.  High  and 
beautifully-formed  mountains  sweep  close  down 
to  the  beach,  and  they  are  densely  wooded  to 
the  very  top  ;  from  the  Casco's  deck  we  look 
up  a  beautiful,  winding  valley  with  a  cataract 
tumbling  down  it,  which  I  long  to  visit,  but, 
alas !  there  are  no  roads  save  the  one  to 
Taravao.  We  are  quite  at  the  world's  end 
here,  in  every  way  ;  there  is  not  a  shop  of 
even  the  most  primitive  kind,  which  seems 
strange  in  so  large  and  populous  a  village. 
The  people   get  what  they  need   from   small 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     199 

schooners  that  come  into  the  bay  to  trade, 
and  about  once  a  week,  if  he  has  time,  the 
Chinaman  from  Taravao  drives  over  with 
bread  and  other  things  for  sale. 

I  think  the  most  beautiful  feature  of  the 
place,  however,  is  the  forest  that  surrounds  it. 
There  are  many  lovely  ferns  both  here  and 
at  Taravao ;  I  found  two  climbing  ones,"  the 
most  graceful  plants  I  ever  saw;  and  the  bark  of 
many  of  the  trees  is  covered  with  innumerable 
ferns  of  all  kinds,  right  up  to  the  very  top. 
Some  of  these,  in  spite  of  their  position,  grow 
to  a  great  size ;  I  saw  harts'  tongues,  for 
instance,  fully  three  feet  long,  and  though  I 
have  not  seen  any  maidenhair  yet,  I  found  one 
that  was  very  like  the  maidenhair  spleenwort. 
I  was  also  delighted  to  find  the  sensitive 
plant  ^^  growing  like  a  weed  by  the  wayside  ; 
I  shall  send  you  a  bit,  but  it  is  very  difficult  to 
dry  or  press,  because  it  shuts  up  almost  if  you 
look  at  it.  The  only  way  I  can  manage  is  to 
hold  one  card  very  gently  underneath  it,  and 
another  on  the  top,  and  bring  them  together 
suddenly,  before  it  has  time  to  find  out  what  I 
am  about.  I  shall  also  send  you  a  bit  of  the 
*  silk-cotton.'     By  the  way,  I   hear  that  one  of 


200     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

my  kind  fellow-communicants  is  making  a 
pillow  of  it  for  me,  so  I  have  not  yet  come  to 
an  end  of  my  'gains  of  godliness.' 

Wednesday  evening. 

MY  little  party  is  over,  and  has  been,  I 
am  glad  to  say,  a  great  success  :  thirty 
women  and  three  children,  one  of  whom  was 
a  very  small  baby,  arrived  in  due  time,  and 
each  brought  me  still  another  present.  So 
you  will  please  add  to  the  foregoing  list  as 
follows : — 

Twenty-five  cocoa-nut  bowls,  six  pillows 
filled  with  silk-cotton,  one  orange,  a  few  fine 
shells,  six  fish,  and  one  basket ! 

They  were  all  very  nicely  dressed,  many 
of  them  in  white,  trimmed  with  embroidery, 
and  their  hats  were  gay  with  brilliant  ribbons, 
a  bright  rose-coloured  chenille  being  much  in 
favour.  They  quite  filled  the  cockpit  and  a 
row  of  chairs  placed  outside,  and  looked  like  a 
garden  bed  full  of  gay  flowers.  Many  of  them, 
I  noticed,  had  very  nice,  sensible  faces,  and 
they  were  all  quiet  and  modest  in  manner,  very 
unlike  some  of  the  young  girls,  more  especially 
at  Papeete.    I  asked  them  if  they  would  sing  me 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     201 

a  hymeni^''^  which  they  did  very  readily,  and 
then,  rather  to  my  surprise,  proceeded  to  make 
speeches  or  addresses,  and  prayers.  One  of 
the  old  ladies  was  as  earnest  and  as  fluent  as 

Mrs. herself  could   have  been ;    I   could 

not  help  being  amused  at  the  thought,  with  so 
many  other  differences,  but  I  wished  I  could 
have  understood  it  all.  Our  old  sailor,  Loney, 
who  knows  the  language,  told  us  that  they 
prayed  for  a  blessing  on  the  vessel  and  on  the 
captain  and  every  one  on  board,  in  return  for 
'  the  great  kindness  we  had  shown  them ' !  /  had 
thought  it  was  rather  the  other  way  round.  .  .  . 
I  must  say  the  captain  was  very  good  :  he  put 
up  an  awning  over  the  deck  in  their  honour, 
and  went  ashore  to  bring  them  off  and  back 
himself.  I  got  Loney  to  tell  them  how  very 
grateful  I  was  for  all  their  kindness  to  me,  and 
what  a  pleasure  it  had  been  to  me  to  join  them 
on  Sunday  in  a  real  mission  congregation,  as  I 
had  been  interested  in  missions  such  as  theirs 
nearly  all  my  life. 

We  then  went  down  to  the  saloons,  and 
gave  them  preserves  and  cake  of  various 
kinds,  and  biscuits,  and  the  much-appreciated 
syrup-and-water.      We   had    the  dining-room 


202     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

twice  filled  as  full  as  it  could  possibly  hold ;  I 
helped  the  preserves  and  cake,  and  Valentine 
poured  out  the  syrup  at  the  other  end  of  the 
table.  Meanwhile  Fanny  and  Lloyd  enter- 
tained the  other  half,  who  were  not  eating,  in 
the  after-cabin.  When  every  scrap  had  been 
disposed  of  we  went  on  deck  again,  and  one 
young  lady  played  us  some  tunes  on  the 
captain's  accordion ;  but  they  were  dreadfully 
disappointed  that  I  could  not  play  to  them,  and 
besf^ed  me  over  and  over  as^ain  that  *  I  would 
try.'  They  came  about  two  o'clock,  and  stayed 
till  past  four.  Before  they  went  away  I  gave 
them  two  bags  of  flour  and  a  bag  of  ship's 
biscuit  (which  they  like  better  than  anything) 
to  be  divided  amongst  them,  and  told  them  I 
was  very  sorry  to  have  nothing  better  to  give 
in  return  for  all  their  great  kindness  to  me. 
There  was  a  little  more  speechifying,  and  they 
expressed  themselves  well  pleased  with  every- 
thing, and  went  off  looking  very  happy  and 
content. 

I  do  not  think  I  ever  told  you  that  the 
people  at  Fakarava  gave  the  Casco  the  name 
of  Pahi  Muni,  which  means  the  shining  or  the 
silver  ship ;  we  thought  it  such  a  pretty  name 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     203 

that  we  have  kept  it  up,  and  Lloyd  has  taught 
it  to  the  people  here.  This  will  explain  the 
enclosed.  Louis  wrote  a  few  verses  to  Princess 
Moe  before  she  left,  and  I  send  you  a  type- 
written copy  for  private  circulation  only ;  she 
does  not  wish  it  to  be  published,  so  it  is  only 
to  be  shown  to  friends/"" 

Lloyd  has  taken  to  wearing  a  pareu,  the 
native  garment,  in  blue  and  white  cotton,  with 
a  white  coat,  and  we  think  he  looks  very  nice 
in  it.  He  goes  barefoot,  of  course.  Fanny 
too  is  quite  unefemine  Tahitienne  in  her  holaku 
and  bare  feet.  She  lies  on  a  pillow  in  the  chiefs 
smoking-room  (which  is  open  all  round  and  has 
a  roof  of  cocoa-nut  bark),  and  can  even  take  a 
whiff  of  a  native  cigarette  and  pass  it  on  to  the 
other  members  of  the  company  in  the  approved 
way.  They  pass  much  of  the  day  there,  the 
ladies  generally  engaged  in  plaiting  hats  of 
various  kinds ;  I  want  to  get  a  lesson  in  the 
work,  which  is  pretty  and  useful,  but  I  have 
not  managed  it  yet.   .  .   . 

There  is  an  unexpected  chance  to  send  off 
this  letter  to  Papeete,  and  it  must  be  closed  at 
once.     I  wonder  when  it  will  reach  you  ! 

*  For  the  reason  stated,  the  verses  are  not  given  here. 


204     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 


On  shore  at  Tautira^  Tahiti^ 
i$th  November  i88S. 

MY  dear ,  I  little  thought  when  I  sent 
off  my  letter  to  you  last  week,  that  I 
should  write  another  from  this  place.  But 
just  after  it  started  the  captain  discovered  that 
there  was  something  wrong  with  the  main  mast 
of  the  Casco,  and  after  minute  examination  it 
turned  out  that  there  was  dry  rot  in  it  ;  that 
it  must  have  been  going  on  for  years,  and  that 
it  was  an  actual  miracle  it  did  not  give  way  in 
the  gale  we  encountered  between  Papeete  and 
Taravao.  The  captain  is  very  indignant  that 
the  yacht  should  have  been  allowed  to  start  on 
such  a  cruise  without  thorough  overhauling, 
and  blames  the  last  captain,  who  assured  Dr. 

M that  the  vessel  was  in  perfect   order. 

We  feel  very  thankful  that  it  was  found  out 
before  anything  more  serious  happened ;  and 
I  declare  that  it  was  in  answer  to  the  prayers 
of  my  kind  old  ladies  that  it  was  discovered 
before  we  went  to  sea,  and  indeed  on  the 
evening  of  the  very  day  of  my  party.  The 
next  question  was,  what  was  to  be  done  ?  The 
Casco  must  return  to   Papeete  either  to  get  a 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     205 

new  mast  or  to  have  this  one  patched  up,  and 
should  we  go  too,  or  remain  here  ?  Louis  and 
all  of  us  agreed  that  we  would  much  rather 
stay  at  Tautira,  but  we  did  not  wish  to  '  sorn ' '"" 
on  our  good  hosts  ;  however,  when  we  spoke 
to  the  chief,  he  assured  us  so  heartily  of  our 
being  welcome  here,  that  we  decided  to  stay 
where  we  were.  As  we  needed  to  draw  some 
more  money,  however,  it  was  finally  settled 
that  I  should  go  to  Papeete  in  the  Casco  on 
Sunday,  spend  Monday  in  seeing  to  my  busi- 
ness and  shopping,  and  come  back  here  on  the 
Tuesday,  which  I  did.  It  turned  out  that  no 
mast  large  enough  for  the  yacht  was  to  be 
found  in  Papeete,  so  the  old  one  is  to  be 
patched  up.  The  captain  declares  that  it  can 
be  made  quite  safe  by  the  help  of  iron  rings 
and  bolts.  He  expects  to  have  everything 
ready  and  in  order  by  the  end  of  next  week, 
when  he  will  return  here  to  pick  us  up,  and  we 
shall  start  at  once  for  Honolulu  ;  but  this  busi- 
ness will  make  us  at  least  a  fortnight  later  in 
getting  our  longed-for  letters.  It  is  fortunate, 
however,  that  we  are  in  a  place  that  we  like  so 
much,  and  where  the  people  are  so  kind  to  us  ; 

*  To  live  at  the  expense  of  any  one — Scots, 


2o6     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

where,  in  spite  of  so  much  that  is  strange  about 
us,  we  still  have  learnt  to  feel  at  home. 

I  have  now  sailed  all  round  Tahiti,  and 
driven  round  half  of  it.  It  is  certainly  a  very 
beautiful  island ;  the  scenery  is  so  varied,  and 
near  Papeete  is  quite  park-like  in  character, 
with  large  and  splendid  trees,  many  of  them 
covered  with  bloom.  The  scarlet-flowered 
acacia  ^^  was  in  full  beauty  and  profusion,  and 
was  perhaps  the  loveliest  of  all ;  the  French 
call  it  the  'flamboyant,^  and  Princess  Moe 
tells  me  that  it  was  introduced  to  the  island  by 
them,  so  has  no  native  name.  Further  south 
the  scenery  is  much  wilder,  with  great  stretches 
of  the  tropical  forest  vegetation,  and  we  all 
admire  that  far  more.  I  went  to  see  Princess 
Moe  in  Papeete,  and  she  was  delighted  to  hear 
that  we  were  staying  on  for  some  time  yet. 
She  said  she  was  coming  back  to  Tautira,  and 
would  hasten  her  return  so  that  she  might  see 
as  much  of  us  as  possible.  .  .  .  On  Tuesday 
morning,  my  business  being  done,  I  rose  at 
4  A.M.,  left  the  Casco^X.  5.15,  and  started  from 
Papeete  at  5.30  in  the  stage,  which  is  a  sort  of 
spring  cart  with  three  benches  with  backs  to 
them,  and  an  awning  stretched  on  poles  to 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     207 

keep  off  the  sun's  heat.  The  bottom  of  the 
cart  is  packed  full  of  parcels  and  bundles  of  all 
kinds  that  are  to  be  delivered  on  the  road,  and 
you  have  to  dispose  of  your  feet  among  them 
as  best  you  can.  A  letter-box  was  hung 
over  the  end  of  one  of  the  benches,  and  we 
stopped  at  the  post-office  of  every  little  village 
on  our  way ;  when  a  post-master  or  mistress 
appeared  with  a  bunch  of  keys,  unlocked  the 
bag,  looked  over  all  the  letters  it  contained, 
took  out  those  addressed  to  that  district,  and 
added  any  that  were  to  be  sent  away.  You 
may  fancy  that  the  correspondence  is  not  very 
large,  or  it  could  scarcely  be  managed  after 
such  a  fashion.  Even  this  rather  primitive 
and  combined  mail -coach -and -carrier's -cart, 
however,  does  not  come  further  than  Taravao, 
which  we  reached  about  12.30,  so  that  I  had 
to  take  a  private  conveyance  to  come  on  here, 
arriving  a  little  after  half-past  three,  and  as 
you  may  imagine,  pretty  well  tired  out.  I  was 
very  anxious  to  get  home,  partly  because  if  I 
had  passed  a  night  in  Taravao,  I  should  have 
been  obliged  to  stay  at  the  Chinaman's  house, 
which,  for  many  reasons,  I  did  not  fancy,  but 
principally  because  it  was  my  dear  boy's  birth- 


2o8     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

day  and  I  could  not  bear  to  spend  the  whole 
of  it  away  from  him  and  quite  alone. 

I  was  very  glad  and  relieved  to  find  him 
looking  wonderfully  well,  and  everything 
going  on  happily.  It  had  been  decided  not 
to  celebrate  his  birthday  till  the  Wednesday, 
to  make  sure  of  my  return,  and  our  hosts  were 
looking  forward  to  the  little  festival  at  which 
they  had  been  invited  to  assist.  I  must  ex- 
plain that  the  proprietor  of  this  house  is  Ori, 
sub-chief  of  the  village  ;  he  is  a  very  fine  and 
dignified  man,  over  six  feet  three  in  height, 
and  broad  in  proportion."^  He  is  a  deacon 
of  the  Protestant  Church  here,  and  in  the 
minister's  absence  sometimes  preaches  him- 
self. He  has  a  very  nice  wife,  whose  name  is 
Haapie,  an  adopted  son  called  Paieria,  and  I 
think  another  (whose  father  was,  I  believe,  a 
white  man,  in  fact  a  Beritano),  one  daughter 
and  two  grandchildren.  It  now  turns  out  that 
the  princess  used  her  authority  to  make  these 
worthy  people  give  up  their  house  to  us,  and 
not  only  that,  but  to  wait  upon  us  besides. 
They  have  kept  for  their  own  use  only  one 
room,  which  has  a  separate  entrance  from  the 
verandah,  and  they  have  indeed    been  most 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     209 

good  and  kind  in  every  way.  They  only 
take  their  place  as  our  hosts  to  the  extent 
of  frequently  coming  in  and  sitting  beside  us. 
Ori  generally  takes  a  chair,  but  his  wife  and 
children  prefer  the  floor,  which  is  covered  with 
beautiful  mats  made  by  Haapie  herself  out  of 
the  leaves  of  the  Pandanus-tree.®*^  It  occurs  to 
me,  however,  that  I  have  never  described  this 
house  to  you.  Our  sitting-room  is  20  feet  7 
inches  long  by  17  feet  9  inches  wide;  it  is 
entered  from  the  front  and  back  verandahs  by 
two  doors,  opposite  each  other,  and  has  four 
large  windows.  The  four  bedrooms  open  off 
the  sitting-room  by  a  door  at  each  corner  :  the 
two  front  ones  are  each  12  feet  6  inches  by  10 
feet  7,  and  the  back  ones  are  larger,  as  they 
include  the  depth  of  the  back  verandah,  and 
have  each  a  second  door  opening  directly  from 
it.  After  many  houses  that  we  have  seen  else- 
where it  is  quite  a  mansion,  and  so  exquisitely 
clean  and  airy. 

On  Tuesday  evening,  when  I  had  had  a  rest, 
we  went  to  the  chiefs  house  just  next  to  ours, 
and  had  a  lesson  in  plaiting  hats  from  Tehea, 
the  chiefs  niece.  I  wish  you  could  have  seen 
us,  all  lying  on  mats  spread  on  the  grass  before 
o 


2IO     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

his  house,  in  moonlight  that  was  Hterally  as 
bright  as  day :  the  air  Hke  milk,  and  full  of  sweet 
perfumes  and  quiet  sounds.  It  was  so  very 
pleasant.  .  .  .  We  learned  our  lesson,  and 
have  both  been  hard  at  work  ever  since ;  you 
will  be  interested  to  know  that  I  think  it  is  the 
very  same  plait  that  you  used  long  ago  for 
making  gipsy  hats  out  of  shavings  and  strips 
of  paper.  Fanny  is  at  work  on  a  hat  of  bam- 
boo shavings,  which  are  white  and  shiny  and 
rather  brittle  ;  I  am  making  mine  of  pandanus, 
which  is  tougher,  and  does  not  require  such 
deft  fingers.^^  We  both  wish  you  were  here, 
for  we  are  sure  you  would  enjoy  this  hat- 
making  industry  ;  it  is  the  constant  occupation 
of  all  ladies  in  Tahiti.  Those  made  of  sugar- 
cane are  finer  than  either  of  ours,  and  more 
thought  of,  but  the  best  of  all  are  made  from 
the  stalks  of  the  arrowroot  plant,^^  which 
unfortunately  is  not  yet  in  season. 

Louis's  birthday  party  was  a  great  success. 
Two  small  pigs  had  been  presented  to  him, 
and  we  had  them  both  roasted  in  a  native 
oven.  This  way  of  cooking  certainly  preserves 
all  the  flavour  of  the  meat,  and  is  delicious. 
Our  first  course  was  a  fine  dish  of  prawns,  or 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     211 

rather  of  small  crayfish  ;  then  followed  roast 
pig  at  the  top,  and  roast  pig  at  the  foot  of 
the  table,  with  an  excellent  sauce  made  of 
grated  cocoa-nut,  lime  juice,  and  sea  water, 
Irish  potatoes,  and  roast  fei ;  after  that 
canned  peaches  and  cake.  Everything  was 
excellent  and  very  highly  appreciated,  and 
there  was  but  little  left  in  spite  of  the  two 
pigs.  We  had  also  two  bottles  of  champagne, 
which  Ori  thoroughly  enjoyed ;  ^^  and  after 
dinner  Lou  managed  to  carry  on  a  long  con- 
versation with  him  by  means  of  a  dictionary 
and  pen,  ink,  and  paper.  It  was  laborious, 
but  amusing. 

November  17. 

OUR  life  here  is  really  delightful;  it  is 
almost  camping  out  without  its  draw- 
backs, we  are  so  much  in  the  open  air.  I 
am  just  now  sitting  on  the  verandah  looking 
on  the  green  lawn  in  front,  with  the  village 
street,  which  is  green  lawn  also,  but  firmer 
under  foot  than  the  rest  and  a  little  worn 
with  traffic,  only  a  few  yards  off.  The  street 
proper  is  bordered  by  cocoa-nut  palms  and 
pandanus- trees  ;  bread-fruits,  mangoes,  and 
bananas  are  scattered  about  irregularly  in  all 


212     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

directions.  Through  the  trees  I  see  the  native 
birdcage-like  ®*  houses  on  the  other  side  of  the 
street,  and  beyond  that  the  sea  stretches  away, 
and  I  can  hear  the  surf  breaking  with  a  con- 
tinuous roar  upon  the  reef  further  out,  and  can 
catch  gHmpses  of  a  line  of  white  foam.  At 
the  back  of  our  house  is  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  and  through  the  back  door  I  can  see 
Pere  Bruno  walking  backwards  and  forwards 
in  front  of  his  little  cottage,  or  reading  his 
breviary  in  the  verandah. 

Our  cooking,  by  the  way,  is  done  on  a 
small  oil  stove  on  the  back  verandah,  or  if  we 
have  any  dish  too  large  for  that,  we  have  an 
oven  arranged  outside  on  the  ground.  We 
have  a  woman  called  Sophie,  half  French  and 
half  native,  to  help  Valentine  with  the  work. 
Louis  has  taken  kindly  to  the  native  fashion 
of  eating  raw  fish,^^  which  are  said  to  be  very 
nutritious ;  he  eats  them  with  a  sauce  made 
of  grated  cocoa-nuts  and  sea  water, ^"^  similar  to 
that  which  was  so  good  with  the  roast  pig. 
He  has  a  very  good  appetite  now,  so  I  live 
in  hope  of  seeing  him  soon  look  a  little  fatter. 

Bathing  is  very  fashionable  here  ;  but  the 
people  all  bathe  in  the  river,  and  not  in  the 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     213 

sea, — I  can't  make  out  why.^^  The  boys  and 
girls  climb  into  high  trees  and  throw  them- 
selves down  into  the  water  like  ripe  fruit 
dropping ;  they  swim  like  very  fishes,  and 
the  brown  creatures  look  very  pretty  as  they 
tumble  about.  Men  and  women,  boys  and 
girls,  all  bathe  together,  but  they  are  all 
decently  clothed  in  parens  ;  indeed,  the  people 
here  are  very  modest  and  particular  in  such 
matters,  and  no  one  is  allowed  to  bathe  with- 
out a  pareu  even  in  the  most  secluded  spot. 
The  other  day  I  went  off  by  myself  to  find  a 
quiet  place  where  I  might  bathe  without  spec- 
tators, but  I  had  not  gone  far  when  six  children 
joined  in  my  train.  When  I  had  found  a  nice 
place  with  a  grove  of  pandanus-trees  for  a 
dressing-room,  I  told  the  children  to  go  away  ; 
they  retreated  about  a  couple  of  yards  and 
then  drew  themselves  up  in  a  line,  to  watch 
my  every  movement.  It  was  rather  trying, 
but  I  used  the  trees  as  a  screen  as  best  I 
could  ;  and  when  the  dip  was  over,  they  again 
assisted  at  my  dressing  with  the  greatest 
interest,  and  were  especially  charmed  when 
I  took  a  button-hook  from  my  pocket  and 
buttoned    my   boots   with   it.      At   present    I 


214     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

have  a  little  crowd  of  boys  round  about  me 
watching  my  writing  with  the  greatest  eager- 
ness and  interest ! 

Louis  has  had  so  many  gifts  brought  to  him 
of  pigs,  fowls,  fish,  fruit,  and  vegetables,  that 
he  has  told  the  chief  that  in  return  he  wishes 
to  give  a  village  feast.  The  chief  was  much 
pleased  with  the  idea,  and  will  make  all  the 
arrangements  for  us.  It  is  to  consist  of  four 
large  hogs  roasted  whole,  five  bags  of  flour, 
and  all  the  tobacco  we  have  left  of  the  quantity 
that  we  brought  to  give  away  as  presents. 
Louis  explained  that  he  meant  to  give  these 
things  just  as  we  were  leaving ;  that  he  would 
make  his  speech,  and  then  walk  off  to  the 
Casco  and  sail  away  ;  but  the  chief  said  that 
would  never  do,  and  would,  in  fact,  be  im- 
possible. The  people  would  never  consent 
to  take  these  things  without  giving  some- 
thing in  return,  and  if  we  insisted,  they  would 
even  prevent  us  by  kindly  force  from  going 
away  till  they  had  had  time  to  collect  their 
gifts.  And  yet  many  people  say  that  they 
only  give  that  they  may  get  more  in  return ! 
Certainly  our  experience  has  been  quite  the 
reverse  of  that. 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     215 

We  have  had  very  heavy  and  sudden  showers 
of  rain  and  a  good  deal  of  thunder  every  night 
since  Tuesday,  so  there  has  been  no  more 
sitting  on  the  grass  by  moonlight ;  but  the 
days  have  been  fine  and  delightfully  fresh. 
The  people  here  are  a  most  contented  and 
happy  set,  rejoicing  heartily  in  their  magnifi- 
cent climate.  There  used  to  be  a  drinking- 
place  in  the  village,  but  the  chief  got  it  put 
down,  and  we  never  hear  of  any  drinking  at 
all  among  them.  They  are  very  fond  of  their 
children,  and  exceedingly  kind  to  them,  but 
the  little  things  are  not  spoiled ;  on  the  con- 
trary they  are  carefully  taught  to  be  quiet  and 
well-behaved.  It  is  quite  a  picture  to  see 
our  gigantic  host  with  a  very  small  grandchild 
perched  on  his  knee  or  sitting  between  his  feet, 
and  both  looking  perfectly  happy.  By  the  way, 
when  I  said  that  Ori  and  his  family  occupied 
one  room  in  this  house,  I  ought  to  have  ex- 
plained that  they  had  really  withdrawn  to  a 
'  birdcage '  house  on  the  other  side  of  the 
street,  only  one  or  two  of  them  sleeping  over 
here. 


2i6     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

Monday^  November  19. 

YESTERDAY  was  my  first  Sunday  en- 
tirely spent  on  shore  at  Tautira,  so  I 
must  give  you  some  account  of  it.  The  people 
are  certainly  a  most  church-going  set.  They 
begin  at  7  a.m.,  when  the  service  lasts  about 
three-quarters  of  an  hour ;  it  was  rather  early 
for  me,  so  I  cannot  tell  you  anything  about  it. 
The  next  service  is  at  ten  o'clock,  and  to  this 
I  went  with  the  chiefs  sister ;  it  lasted  about 
an  hour,  and  was  much  like  our  own  at  home, 
with  a  good  many  hy mends, ^^  short  prayers, 
and  a  short  sermon.  The  inevitable  babies, 
by  the  way,  behaved  very  well.  After  service 
all  the  people  adjourned  to  the  public  hall, 
which  is  a  very  large  '  birdcage '  house,  with 
a  dais  or  platform  at  one  end ;  and  at  the 
further  end  of  this  platform  there  is  a  long 
table  and  a  bench  on  which  the  chief  and  the 
councillors  sit,  as  many  as  are  present.  The 
rest  of  the  people  sit  on  the  floor,  either  on 
the  dais  or  the  lower  part,  as  they  prefer ; 
children  are  admitted,  and  even  dogs,  though 
the  latter  are  never  allowed  to  go  into  the 
church.      When    all    are    seated    the    official 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     217 

newspaper  is  read  aloud  for  the  public  benefit, 
and  the  Government  announcements  and  ordi- 
nances are  considered  and  discussed.  It  is  a 
veritable  '  Parliament  House '  on  a  small  scale, 
where  any  one  may  give  an  opinion,  ask  for 
advice,  or  make  any  matter  publicly  known  ; 
and  here  yesterday  the  chief  announced  that 
Louis  intended  to  give  a  feast  to  the  in- 
habitants of  the  village  to  show  his  gratitude 
for  the  kindness  with  which  we  had  been 
welcomed  and  always  treated.  The  notice 
was  received,  I  am  glad  to  say,  with  evident 
satisfaction. 

At  3  P.M.  I  returned  to  church  with  '  Mrs. 
Ori.'  A  nice-looking  young  deacon  conducted 
the  first  part  of  the  service  and  preached  a 
short  sermon,  standing  the  while  at  the  Com- 
munion Table  ;  he  then  retired  to  the  body 
of  the  church,  the  native  minister  went  into 
the  precentor's  box,  and  there  followed  a  long 
discussion,  in  which  a  good  many  of  the  men 
took  part,  and  all  seemed  closely  interested. 
The  minister  appeared  to  reserve  the  right  of 
reply,  and  occasionally  he  called  upon  different 
people  to  give  their  views.  I  would  have 
given  the  world   to  be  able   to  understand  it 


2i8     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

all.  I  have  been  told  that  they  make  great 
use  of  ridicule  here,  and  I  observed  that  even 
in  church  the  man  who  could  turn  the  lauofh 
against  his  opponent  seemed  to  gain  the 
day;  but  Princess  Moe  comes  to-morrow,  and 
through  her  I  hope  to  find  out  more  about  it. 
...  It  appears  that  the  people  usually  collect 
once  more,  at  8  p.m.,  in  'Parliament  House,' 
this  time  to  sing  kymends  ;  but  for  some  reason 
which  I  do  not  know,  this  was  yesterday 
omitted,  so  Ori  and  his  wife  sang  hymen^s 
to  us,  lying  on  the  floor  of  our  '  salon.'  They 
know  a  great  many  by  heart,  and  sing  them 
very  prettily ;  there  is  a  curious  quality  about 
their  voices,  difficult  to  describe.  They  still 
use  the  word  rnitonaree  to  mean  church  mem- 
bership ;  they  said,  for  instance,  that  I  was 
mitonaree,  and  they  were  both  mitonaree,  but 
the  others  were  not  mitonaree.  .  .  . 

We  were  amused  to  find  that  when  the  chief 
announced  Louis's  feast  in  the  '  Parliament 
House,'  he  called  him  'the  rich  man.'  It 
turns  out  to  be  fortunate  that  we  had  ordered 
four  hogs,  for  we  now  learn  that  the  village  is 
divided  into  four  sets,  or  classes,  of  people ; 
and   according    to   native   etiquette,    the   gifts 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     219 

must  be  divided  into  four  portions,  and  sepa- 
rately presented  to  each.  The  first  set  consists 
of  the  Protestant  minister  and  his  regular  con- 
gregation, or  church  members  ;  the  second,  of 
the  chief,  the  councillors,  and  the  inhabitants 
generally ;  the  third,  of  the  schoolmaster  and 
school-children  ;  and  the  fourth,  of  Pere  Bruno 
and  the  Roman  Catholics,  who  are  very  few 
in  number.  It  seems  an  extraordinary  system, 
as  many  of  the  people  belong  to  more  than 
one  class  ;  for  instance,  Ori,  our  host,  is  both 
a  church  deacon  and  a  councillor. 


Thursday,  Nove7nber  23. 

THE  Princess  Moe  arrived  on  Tuesday. 
I  wanted  to  give  up  my  room  to  her, 
but  Ori  would  not  hear  of  that,  and  insisted 
on  turning  out  of  the  one  room  he  had  hitherto 
kept  for  their  own  use  ;  so  she  is  practically 
living  in  our  house,  and  we  see  a  great  deal 
of  her  and  like  her  very  much.  She  has 
taught  us  several  new  plaits  for  hat-making, 
and  Fanny  and  she  have  '  exchanged  names  ' 
in  the  native  fashion,  which  is  looked  on  here 
as  a  real  bond  of  relationship.     She  has  given 


2  20     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

Fanny  her  mother's  name,  Terii-  Tauma-  Terai, 
part  of  which  word  means  'heaven,'  I  beHeve, 
and  part  is  connected  with  some  land  in  this 
neighbourhood,  and  gives  Fanny  the  right  to 
claim  it  if  she  has  a  mind  to.  In  return 
Fanny  gave  Moe  her  own  mother's  name, 
which  is  Hester.  Louis  and  Ori  have  also 
*  made  brothers '  and  exchanged  names  ;  the 
name  '  Louis '  is  Rut  in  the  native  pronuncia- 
tion, so  that  Ori  only  alters  his  name  very 
slightly.  He  has  given  Louis  his  own  Chris- 
tian name  of  Teriitera.  In  making  brothers, 
they  have  to  eat  together,  but  it  is  not  nearly 
so  formal  a  ceremony  here  as  at  Atuona,  when 
we  were  adopted  by  the  chief,  and  the  feast 
was  only  and  solely  for  us  and  our  new  family. 
The  princess  has  also  given  Lloyd  and  m.e 
complimentary  names,  but  I  am  not  sure  of 
them  yet,  and  will  tell  you  them  later. 

Yesterday  our  '  feast '  went  off  splendidly. 
Louis's  four  hogs  were  roasted  whole  and 
wrapped  in  pieces  of  matting  made  of  the  green 
leaflets  of  the  cocoa-nut,  beautifully  braided 
together.  They  were  laid  out  in  front  of  the 
steps  up  to  our  verandah,  along  with  four  large 
tin  boxes  of  ship's  biscuits,  which  we  decided 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     221 

to  give  instead  of  flour,  as  the  natives  are  so 
particularly  fond  of  them.  Four  o'clock  had 
been  fixed  as  the  hour  of  distribution,  but  long 
before  that  time  people  began  to  arrive,  all 
very  gaily  dressed,  and  carrying  their  return 
gifts  with  them  generally  slung  upon  poles  : 
live  pigs  and  live  hens  were  tied  by  their  feet 
in  this  way,  and  protested  loudly  against  such 
upside-down  treatment.  It  was  a  pretty  sight 
from  first  to  last,  but  the  prettiest  part  of  it 
all  was  the  appearance  of  the  school-children, 
who  marched  two  and  two  with  the  school- 
master at  their  head.  The  children  had  been 
to  the  woods  to  gather  bananas  and  other  fruit, 
and  they  also  carried  them  slung  from  poles 
balanced  on  their  shoulders  like  their  elders, 
some  of  them  staggering  under  the  weight ; 
while  the  schoolmaster  brought  a  basket  full 
of  the  beautiful  rose-apples.*^^  Each  set,  or 
party,  piled  their  gifts  in  a  separate  heap 
on  the  lawn  in  front  of  our  house,  and  the 
people  and  children  sat  down  in  groups  upon 
the  grass  ;  but  when  all  were  gathered  to- 
gether we  discovered  to  our  consternation  that 
there  were.  Jive  heaps  of  presents  instead  of  the 
four  we  had  been  told  to  expect.       It  turned 


222     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

out  that  a  very  small  body  of  Mormons — I 
think  six  in  number — whom  the  chief  had 
never  expected  to  take  separate  action,  had 
nevertheless  done  so,  and  brought  quite  a 
large  heap  of  gifts  as  their  own  contribution. 
You  can  imagine  our  perplexity  and  embarrass- 
ment, as  there  were  only  four  hogs,  and  it  was 
impossible  to  make  a  proper  division  and 
presentation  to  each  party  as  native  custom 
demanded.  However,  they  were  very  con- 
siderate ;  it  was  arranged  after  some  discussion 
that  there  should  only  be  a  general  presenta- 
tion, and  they  should  be  left  to  divide  the 
things  amongst  themselves  as  best  they  could. 
So,  as  soon  as  this  had  been  settled,  Louis, 
Fanny,  and  I  went  to  the  top  of  the  verandah 
steps,  and  he  made  a  speech  to  them  in  French, 
thanking  them  all  in  the  name  of  each  of  his 
party  for  the  great  kindness  and  hospitality 
they  had  shown  us,  and  begging  them  to 
accept  our  small  gifts  as  a  token  of  our 
gratitude  and  affection.  He  mentioned  the 
many  different  countries  that  we  had  been 
in,  and  said  that  of  all  of  them,  he  liked  Tau- 
tira  best ;  and  that  often  when  we  would  be 
sittinpf  over  the  fire  in  the  midst  of  the  frost 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     223 

and  snow  of  our  own  land,  we  would  re- 
member with  longing  their  lovely  climate. 
Then  the  chief  translated  it  to  the  people, 
and  an  elderly  gentleman  rose  and  accepted 
the  gifts  in  their  name  with  many  warm 
thanks,  saying  how  much  they  had  all  been 
pleased  to  have  us  amongst  them,  and  that  the 
longer  we  stayed  the  better  they  would  like  it. 
After  this  began  the  presentation  of  their 
return  gifts  to  us.  There  was  a  separate 
speech  made  over  each  heap,  describing  what 
it  contained,  and  begging  our  acceptance  of 
it ;  and  at  the  end  of  the  speech,  the  spokes- 
man walked  forward  and  presented  a  sample 
of  the  gifts  and  shook  hands  with  us  all,  and 
we  exchanged  iao-ranos.'^  (This  is  the  third,  but 
I  believe  the  correct  way,  to  spell  it.  You  see 
I  live  and  learn !)  The  wag  of  the  speakers 
was  the  leader  of  the  Mormons,  and  his  speech 
was  most  amusing.  He  described  the  hens  as 
being  descendants  of  the  *  cock  that  frightened 
Peter,'  and  he  brought  us  two  eggs  and  told 
us  to  take  them  home  and  '  make  them  into 
chickens,'  and  they  would  always  sing  us  a 
song  that  would  remind  us  of  Tautira.      He 

*  See  note  47. 


2  24     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

was  evidently  a  very  popular  orator,  as  he  was 
asked  to  speak  for  some  of  the  other  parties 
also ;  so  the  Mormons,  though  few,  were  quite 
to  the  front  of  the  proceedings.  One  of  them 
had  brought  a  basket  of  eggs,  which  are  not 
over  plentiful  here,  and  another  a  very  in- 
teresting fish-hook  in  the  old  style,  made  of 
pearl  shell. ^^  Louis  returned  thanks  to  them 
all  at  the  end,  and  so  it  concluded ;  but  how 
I  wish  you  could  have  seen  it,  for  it  was  really 
a  pretty  sight,  and  I  cannot  do  justice  to  it. 

We  found  ourselves,  when  all  was  over,  the 
proud  possessors  of  such  quantities  of  food, 
that  we  scarcely  know  what  to  do  with  it. 
We  have  ten  little  pigs,  twenty-three  fowls, 
and  countless  cocoa-nuts,  bananas,  bread-fruits, 
bundles  of  taro,  and  pineapples,  not  to  speak 
of  silk -cotton  pillows.  Ori  and  the  chiefs 
retainers  had  to  grather  all  together  and  stow 
them  away  for  us.  They  tied  the  bananas  up 
to  the  nearest  trees,  three  of  which  are  now 
heavy-laden  with  the  bunches  ;  the  cocoa-nuts 
are  piled  in  heaps  at  the  foot,  so  as  to  be 
shaded  from  the  sun.  Then  they  took  the 
bamboos  on  which  the  gifts  had  been  carried, 
and  very  cleverly  made  a  kind  of  double  pen, 


/' 


'^'m    ^ 


\ 


■% 


ROBERT   I.OUIS   STEVEXSOX,    AGED    4 
From  a  crayon  lirawiii!^ 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     225 

into  one  end  of  which  the  pigs  were  put,  and 
into  the  other  the  chickens  ;  and  now  we  are 
left  to  eat  through  the  larder  at  our  leisure. 
Fortunately  the  live-stock  feed  on  cocoa-nuts 
and  bananas,  so  they  are  well  provided  for, 
and  that  will  help  us  through. 

Louis  is  very  tired  to-day  with  yesterday's 
excitement,  and  hopes  he  will  not  have  such 
another  experience  for  many  a  long  day ;  he 
enjoyed  it  heartily,  but  it  fairly  wore  him  out. 
Ori  tells  us  that  he  managed  the  division  of 
the  gifts  all  right.  A  whole  hog  was  given 
to  the  Mormons,  but  they  very  equitably 
returned  one-half  of  it,  and  then  the  church 
members  made  common  cause  with  the  general 
inhabitants,  and  had  a  hog  and  a  half  between 
them.  This  solved  the  difficulty,  and  all  seem 
to  have  been  well  satisfied,  which  is  the  great 
point.  Old  Pere  Bruno  told  us  that  he  had 
enough  to  serve  him  for  three  days  at  least, 
and  that  all  the  people  had  got  more  than  they 
expected.  We  were  thankful  to  hear  this,  as 
it  did  not  look  very  much  amongst  so  many, 
and  yet  it  cost  about  seventeen  pounds. 


226     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

November  28. 

HERE  we  are  still,  and  there  is  always 
no  word  of  the  Casco.  We  are 
beginning  to  get  a  little  anxious  about  her, 
and  our  provisions  are  running  low  ;  we  have 
had  no  butter  for  some  days,  and  to-day  we 
had  no  coffee  for  breakfast,  and  the  wine  is 
very  nearly  finished,  so  I  do  hope  the  yacht 
will  come  very  soon. 

Last  Saturday,  Louis  and  Fanny  and  Or! 
all  went  to  Paupera  to  visit  Tati,  the  chief 
of  that  district ;  he  is  a  Salmon,  a  brother  of 
Mrs.  Darsie's,  and  not  only  of  high  rank,  but 
very  well-informed  about  native  customs  and 
literature.  Of  course,  therefore,  Louis  was 
very  anxious  to  see  him ;  but  it  was  a  drive  of 
five  hours,  and  we  were  frightened  to  let  him 
undertake  anything  so  fatiguing.  However, 
I  am  thankful  to  say  that  he  came  back  on 
Monday,  very  tired  certainly,  but  not  really 
the  worse  of  the  expedition.  They  were 
most  kindly  received,  and  Lou  got  a  great 
deal  of  information  of  all  kinds ;  the  only 
thing  that  he  objected  to  was  that  they  gave 
him  European  food  instead  of  native.      When 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     227 

Tati  heard  that  he  was  so  fond  of  fei  (the 
wild  banana),  he  said  that  Louis  would  be 
sure  to  return  to  Tahiti,  as  it  was  a  proof 
that  the  island  had  cast  a  spell  on  him. 

On  Tuesday  Moe  gave  us  a  grand  feast 
in  this  house ;  several  men  cooked  it,  and  a 
man  and  woman  waited.  Before  dinner  Moe 
brought  wreaths  for  the  whole  party  to  wear, 
made  of  the  leaves  of  a  plant  which  turns 
bright  yellow  as  it  withers  ;  I  only  wish  you 
could  have  seen  us  with  them  on !  We  were 
like  a  party  of  Bacchantes,  and  between  you 
and  me,  I  will  confess  that  I  felt  more  than 
a  little  ridiculous  in  mine.  Ori  looked  better 
than  any  one  else  :  with  his  fine  grave  face 
he  reminded  me  of  one  of  the  Roman  em- 
perors. Here  is  our  bill  of  fare  :  ist  course, 
an  omelette  ;  2nd,  crayfish  ;  3rd,  fried  chicken  ; 
4th,  a  native  curry  of  chicken,  seasoned  with 
saffron,  red  peppers,  and  cocoa-nut;  5th,  stewed 
chicken  ;  6th,  two  roast  pigs  and  one  roasted 
fowl.  These  last  were  put  on  the  table,  and 
then  at  once  removed,  cut  up,  and  handed 
round.  We  had  cocoa-juice  served  in  the  nut 
to  drink,  and  after  dinner  tea  was  served  with 
cocoa-nut    milk.       Everything   was    delicious. 


2  28     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

especially  the  curry,  which  was  totally  different 
from  any  I  had  ever  tasted,  not  at  all  hot,  and 
particularly  well-flavoured.  In  the  evening 
we  played  High,  Loiu,  and  Jack,  with  the 
princess,  and  enjoyed  ourselves  very  much. 
She  is  a  great  deal  with  us,  and  always  so 
bright  and  pleasant  and  fond  of  a  joke  ;  our 
presentation  pillows  lie  about  on  the  floor,  and 
when  she  or  other  visitors  are  here,  they  come 
in  very  usefully.  Last  night,  for  instance,  we 
taught  the  princess  vingt-et-un,  and  we  all  sat 
or  lay  on  the  floor  while  we  played,  an  ad- 
miring crowd  gazing  in  at  us  from  door  and 
window  all  the  time. 

I  am  glad  to  say  that  Louis  keeps  really 
wonderfully  well,  and  this  place  suits  him 
better  than  any  we  have  ever  tried.  For 
that,  as  well  as  many  other  reasons,  we  shall 
be  very  sorry  to  leave,  but  we  weary  terribly 
for  those  longed-for  letters  ! 

December  2. 

AFTER  watching  for  the  yacht  all  day  and 
every  day,  almost  as  eagerly  as  ship- 
wrecked mariners,  a  letter  at  last  came  from 
the  captain  to  say  that  he  found  the  other  mast 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     229 

was  rotten  also,  and  must  be  patched  up  before 
we  could  venture  to  start  for  Honolulu.  Here 
was  a  business,  and  once  more  it  was  a  question 
what  we  were  to  do.  We  felt  that  we  had 
already  '  sorned '  far  too  long  on  Ori's  kind- 
ness, and  our  food,  that  is,  the  European  part 
of  it,  was  done  ;  so  surely  we  ought  to  return 
at  once  to  Papeete.  On  the  other  hand  we 
had  not  nearly  enough  money  to  pay  up  here 
and  cover  our  journey  to  Papeete  ;  the  captain 
keeps  the  'bank'  on  the  yacht,  and  of  course 
that  was  out  of  reach.  Again,  we  had  no 
means  of  conveying  all  our  possessions  thither, 
and  this  place  suits  Louis  so  much  better  than 
Papeete  that  it  seemed  almost  providential 
that  he  should  be  kept  here,  even  against  his 
will.  Louis  and  Fanny  both  got  quite  upset 
and  tearful  over  the  discussion  which  followed 
in  solemn  conclave  with  the  chief,  Ori,  and 
Pere  Bruno ;  and  finally,  after  much  talk,  Ori 
made  a  solemn  oration  to  Louis,  which  was 
translated  to  him  by  the  chief,  and  was  to  this 
effect :  '  You  are  my  brother,  and  all  that  I 
have  is  yours.  I  know  that  your  food  is  done, 
but  I  can  give  you  fish  and  fei  as  much  as  you 
like.     This  place  suits  you,  and   it  makes  us 


230     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

happy  to  have  you, — stay  here  till  the   Casco 
comes,  be  happy,  et  ne  pleurez  plus ! ' 

Louis  could  not  resist  this  kindness,  so  here 
we  are,  and  here  we  remain  ;  and  more  than 
that,  Ori  went  off  to  Papeete  yesterday  in  his 
big  canoe,  and  is  to  return  to-morrow  with 
fresh  stores  for  us  from  the  Casco.  .  .  . 


Tautira^  Ta/nti, 
Dec.  4,  1888. 


THE  wind  continues  very  high,  so  that 
Ori  was  prevented  from  getting  back 
yesterday,  and  we  are  a  little  anxious  about 
him.  We  are  now  almost  entirely  reduced  to 
native  foods,  and  we  are  learning  how  good 
they  are  and  growing  really  fond  of  them. 
Th.Q.  poipoi  made  of  taro  and  eaten  with  cocoa- 
nut  cream  is  our  favourite,  I  think ;  it  is  like  a 
delightful  cream  '  shape,'  or  sort  of  blancmange, 
but  more  substantial  and  satisfying.  Lloyd  de- 
clares it  reminds  him  of  cold  porridge,  but  as 
that  is  a  dish  I  do  noi  appreciate,  I  rather 
resent  the  comparison.  We  certainly  feel,  how- 
ever, that  it  is  as  nourishing  and  sustaining  as 
porridge — so  much  I  will  allow. 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     231 

I  do  not  believe  I  told  you  that  Princess 
Moe,  when  she  arrived,  brought  with  her  five 
— I  can  scarcely  call  them  servants,  let  us  say — 
retainers.  One  is  the  proprietor  of  her  very 
nice  carriage  and  also  the  driver  of  it,  and  is 
accompanied  by  his  wife  and  child.  There 
are  also  two  girls  who  attend  on  the  princess. 
They  are  all  of  rank  and  are  landed  pro- 
prietors in  Papeete,  and  have  servants  to  wait 
on  them.  The  princess  is  on  excellent  terms 
with  them,  but  at  a  certain  distance,  reminding 
me  strongly  of  Cluny  and  his  retainers  :  there 
is  just  the  same  intimate,  yet  stately,  relative 
position.  The  gentleman  whom  we  call  the 
'Charioteer,'  for  want  of  another  name  (his 
own  is  so  painfully  long  and  syllabic  that  it  is 
impossible  to  remember),  was  invited  to  dine 
with  us  at  Moe's  feast,  and  he  often  joins  our 
salon  in  the  evening  ;  his  wife  occasionally 
comes  with  him,  but  never  either  of  the  girls. 
We  suppose  they  are  either  of  rather  lower 
rank,  or  their  age  or  employment  makes  it 
etiquette  not  to  appear. 

On  Sunday  afternoon  the  '  Charioteer '  con- 
ducted the  services  in  church,  and  there  was  an 
extra  long  discussion  afterwards,  when  several 


232     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

evidently  amusing  remarks  were  made  and 
much  applauded.  In  the  evening  I  asked  Moe 
many  questions  about  it  all ;  it  appears  that  on 
these  occasions  all  the  three  sermons  they  have 
heard  in  the  day  are  discussed  and  criticised, 
and  the  minister  asks  questions  to  see  if  they 
have  listened  and  understood  the  meaning.  It 
seems  to  me  an  excellent  plan  for  keeping  their 
attention  and  interest,  and  I  should  like  to  see 
it  introduced  into  some  country  places  at  home. 
I  asked  also  what  the  jokes  had  been.  She  told 
me  that  one  of  the  sermons  was  about  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, and  apparently  his  being  made  to 
eat  grass  like  the  beasts,  as  a  punishment  for 
pride,  had  provoked  most  of  the  laughter. 
Louis  here  broke  in  rather  flippantly,  and 
asked  the  princess,  '  Where  was  Moses  when 
the  candle  went  out  ? '  And  then  our  deacon 
put  a  question  to  us  that  was  curious  and  in- 
structive. He  wanted  to  know  'why  Moses 
was  not  killed  along  with  the  firstborn  of  the 
Egyptians.'  This  would  never  occur  as  a 
difficulty  to  our  minds,  but  according  to  their 
customs  of  adoption,  Moses  really  was  the  son 
of  Pharaoh's  daughter,  and  therefore  himself 
the  firstborn  of  an  Egyptian  !     He  put  several 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     233 

other  questions,  which  we  managed  to  answer 
with  some  credit ;  and  then  he  asked  what  was 
the  reason  of  the  '  shaved  heads  '  of  the  Roman 
Cathohc  priests,  and  started  Louis  on  the 
ancient  history  of  the  tonsure  till  the  *  Chario- 
teer' announced  that  he  was  *a  very  learned 
man.'  After  that,  two  of  the  best  singers 
of  the  church  came  and  sang  hymends  to  us 
really  beautifully,  so  we  had  a  very  Sabba- 
tical evening.  As  usual,  there  was  a  large 
and  admirincr  audience  at  doors  and  windows. 

Fanny  announces  there  is  one  role  in 
Tahitian  life  that  she  will  have  nothing  to 
do  with,  and  that  is  the  grandmother's.  All 
the  burden  of  the  babies  falls  upon  them, 
in  addition  to  much  else,  while  the  young 
mothers  '  laze '  about  and  enjoy  themselves. 
Mrs.  Ori,  for  instance,  has  two  grandchildren, 
one  a  little  girl  of  two  years  and  the  other  a 
baby  of  some  two  months,  and  she  is  never 
to  be  seen  without  one  of  them  or  both.     We 

always  call  the  little  girl  G ,  because  there 

is  something  in  her  serene  dignity  and  the  way 
she  folds  her  hands,  that  reminds  us  all  of  our 

own    dear    G at    home.      The   little  one 

knows  her  name  quite  well  now,  and  has  got 


234     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

over  the  terrible  dread  of  white  faces  which  all 
the  very  young  native  children  feel,  just  as  our 
own  at  home  are  afraid  of  '  the  b'acky  man/  as 
Louis  used  to  say.  Children  are  very  happy 
here,  that  is  certain,  and  their  parents  are 
devoted  to  them,  though  the  habit  of  adoption 
is  hard  to  comprehend.  Princess  Moe  has  had 
five  children,  but  her  four  daughters  were  all 
adopted  by  others,  and  left  her  when  they 
were  about  a  year  old  ;  the  old  Queen  Pomare 
took  one,  and  another  was  taken  by  Mrs. 
Darsie.  Moe  only  kept  her  one  son  to  herself, 
and  he  died  at  five  years  old,  which  was  a 
terrible  grief  to  her ;  had  he  lived,  he  would 
now  have  been  the  next  heir  to  the  throne. 

The  chief  and  his  family  are  all  away  just 
now  ;  they  have  gone  to  a  place  in  the  moun- 
tains where  they  have  land,  to  superintend 
its  measurement  for  registration.  They  are 
living  in  a  house  made  entirely  of  leaves  of 
the  cocoa-palm.  Moe,  I  believe,  ought  to  have 
gone  with  them  last  week,  but  would  not  leave 
us ;  however,  on  Monday  she  could  put  off  no 
longer,  and  was  obliged  to  go  to  see  after  the 
measurements  of  her  own  land.  Her  retainers 
have  gone  with  her,  and  we   feel  very  quiet 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     235 

and  unoccupied.  The  people  of  this  district 
all  belong  to  the  Teva  tribe,  and  hold  their 
heads  very  high,  thinking  themselves  much 
better  than  the  Pomares,  though  the  latter 
have  been  astute  enough  to  have  themselves 
made  kings.  Quite  recently  the  present  Po- 
mare  tried  to  prove  himself  a  Teva  in  one 
of  the  disputes  about  land,  but  failed  alto- 
gether, when  one  of  the  Tevas  said,  '  Let 
him  content  himself  with  being  a  Pomare, 
for  he  can  never  be  a  Teva ! '  All  this  was 
recounted  by  Tati  Salmon,  the  chief  of  the 
Tevas.  Doesn't  it  remind  you  of  our  own 
Highland  clans? 

December  5. 

THE  high  wind  still  continues,  and  there 
is  no  saying  when  Ori  may  get  back. 
We  only  hope  he  is  safe  at  Papeete,  where 
there  are  said  to  be  six  boats  from  Tautira 
and  six  from  Taravao,  all  waiting  at  Point 
Venus  for  a  change  of  wind,  and  unable  to 
ofet  home  till  it  comes.  We  are  more  than 
vexed  that  Ori  should  go  through  all  this  on 
our  account ;  every  one  made  sure  of  a  change 
in  the  weather  on  Monday,  with  the  new 
moon  ;  but  we  were  disappointed  in  our  hopes. 


236     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

Meantime  we  are  all  perforce  teetotallers, 
having  nothing  left  of  a  spirituous  character 
save  a  bottle  of  very  new  rum  that  Ori  gave 
us ;  the  taste  of  which,  to  the  unaccustomed 
palate,  is  so  very  unpleasant,  that  nothing 
short  of  the  direst  necessity  will  induce  us  to 
touch  it. 

I  think  what  we  suffer  most  from,  however, 
is  the  want  of  books.  I  have  only  one  with 
me,  and  Lloyd  has  none  at  all,  so  he  has 
shared  mine,  and  I  am  sure  has  read  it  two 
or  three  times  entirely  through.  I  said  to 
him  one  day  that  I  thought  he  could  pass  an 
examination  in  it  now,  and  he  replied,  '  Yes, 
if  I  just  crammed  up  a  few  dates  and  some 
of  the  pieces  of  poetry,  I  could  go  in  for  a  first 
class  with  honours.'  It  is  the  Life  of  Sir 
Henry  Lawrence,  and  very  interesting,  but  I 
have  no  doubt  you  have  read  it. 

December  8. 

ORI  came  back  in  safety  on  Thursday 
evening,  bringing  our  stores,  so  we 
are  relieved  about  him,  and  no  longer  feel  like 
shipwrecked  mariners.  He  was  greatly  de- 
lighted  with   his  visit  to   the    Casco ;   he   had 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     237 

lived  on  board  from  Saturday  till  Monday, 
and  declared  that  it  was  'just  like  having  a 
father  at  Papeete.'  He  dined  with  the  captain, 
and  '  there  was  a  separate  bottle  of  wine  put 
down  for  each  ;  the  food  was  so  good,  and 
there  were  so  many  things,  that  he  had  to  eat 
a  great  deal.'  His  four  young  men  dined 
with  the  sailors.  The  captain  offered  him  a 
bed  in  the  cabin,  but  he  thought  it  was  too 
hot,  so  he  elected  to  sleep  on  deck,  where  the 
sailors  brought  him  boat  cushions ;  but  the 
captain  scolded  them,  and  sent  them  down  for 
proper  pillows.  This  was  his  own  account, 
which  Moe  translated  for  us.  I  told  her  to 
ask  him  how  he  liked  the  'duff,'  which  we 
always  have,  in  orthodox  sea  fashion,  on 
Sundays  ;  he  replied  that  he  liked  it  so  much 
that  he  told  the  cook  just  to  leave  it  on  the 
table  so  that  he  might  eat  some  more  in  the 
morning !  To  show  that  his  appetite  was 
appreciated  on  board,  I  may  mention  that 
the  captain  tells  us  in  his  letter  that  after  the 
Colonel  (as  Louis  often  calls  Ori)  had  eaten 
his  first  dinner  on  board.  Ah  Fou  said,  '  Him 
must  leave  dam  quick,  or  else  bust  um  bank  ! ' 
— meaning  that   the    Casco    stores   would   be 


238     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

exhausted.  The  inhabitants  of  this  peninsula 
pride  themselves  on  their  good  appetites,  and 
they  certainly  have  reason. 

The  chief,  with  his  family  and  Moe, 
returned  from  the  hills  on  Wednesday,  but 
Moe  found  a  letter  from  the  king-  waiting  her 
arrival  (addressed  '  To  the  great  Princess  at 
Tautira,  P.  V.,'  these  letters  standing  for 
Pomare  ^tk),  which  desired  her  to  go  at  once 
to  Papeete,  so  she  and  all  her  people  left 
yesterday  morning.  She  may  perhaps  return 
in  the  Casco  when  it  comes  for  us,  along  with 
her  daughter,  Mrs.  Norman  Brander.  We  hear 
that  the  captain  hopes  to  be  ready  to  start  by 
the  beginning  of  the  week.  The  complimen- 
tary name,  by  the  way,  that  was  given  to  me 
by  Moe  is  Teiriha,  and  the  one  for  Lloyd  is 
Aromai-terai ;  they  both  mean  '  members  of 
the  royal  family.' 

Monday,  December  10. 

THIS  letter  is  at  the  best  but  a  bundle  of 
fragments,  but  as  there  is  a  chance  to 
send  it  off  for  the  mail,  I  shall  let  it  go.  I 
have  come  to  an  end  of  my  envelopes  and 
very  nearly  of  my  paper ;  it  is  high  time  for 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     239 

the  Casco  to  come  and  replenish  me.  How- 
ever I  sincerely  hope  this  is  the  last  letter  I 
shall  write  to  you  from  Tahiti,  and  I  trust  that 
before  I  send  off  another  I  shall  have  got  my 
longed-for  news  of  you.  .  .  . 


CONCLUSION 


Tatttlra,  Tahiti, 
Dec.  1 6,  1888. 


HERE  we  are,  still  hanging  on  waiting 
for  the  Casco :  since  we  have  had  no 
more  letters  from  the  captain,  we  made  sure 
that  he  would  come  this  week.  We  got  a 
begowk  on  Friday  evening,  for  we  saw  a 
schooner  come  pretty  close  in,  and  felt  sure 
it  was  the  Casco ;  we  supposed  that  the  cap- 
tain was  afraid  to  venture  through  the  reef  so 
late  at  night,  and  that  he  would  lie  off,  and 
come  in  on  Saturday  morning.  But  when 
morning  came  there  was  no  sign  of  him,  so  it 
cannot  have  been  the  Casco  after  all. 

We  have  had  a  quiet  week,  with  only  two 
events  to  mark  it.  On  Monday  afternoon  a 
lot  of  boys  and  girls  adorned  with  wreaths, 
and  singing,  passed  the  house  in  a  little  com- 
pany.    On  inquiry,  it  appeared  that  they  had 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     241 

played  truant  from  school,  and  the  school- 
master had  sent  them  to  the  '  Council '  for 
punishment.  Ori  took  them  to  the  Fari- 
kazc,  or  Parliament-house,  and  lectured  them 
severely  ;  and  then  sentenced  them  to  weed 
the  grass,  the  ringleader  for  ten  days,  some  of 
the  others  for  five,  and  the  little  ones  for  three. 
Lou  declares  that  the  wreaths  and  songs  were 
to  keep  their  spirits  up,  on  the  '  highwaymen 
marching  to  Tyburn '  principle ! 

The  next  event  was  the  arrival  of  two 
French  gentlemen  to  examine  the  school,  and 
with  them,  acting  as  interpreter,  came  our 
good  friend  from  Fakarava,  M.  Donat!  We 
were  so  happy  to  meet  again,  though  un- 
fortunately he  could  only  spare  us  a  very  few 
minutes.  We  all  attended  the  examination  ; 
but  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  the  Tautira  chil- 
dren do  7iot  shine  at  lessons !  They  seem  to 
take  no  interest  in  them  at  all  ;  though  the 
examiners  were  most  kind  and  patient,  they 
could  make  but  little  out  of  them.  Strangely 
enough,  arithmetic  was  the  one  thing  that  they 
did  seem  to  know  something  about,  which  is 
very  unlike  our  country  children  at  home.  It 
is  only  fair,  however,  to  remember  that  no  one 
Q 


242     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

reads  here,  and  I  do  not  think  any  one  but 
Pcre  Bruno  has  any  books,  except  the  Bible, 
so  the  children  can't  see  much  use  or  good  in 
learning. 

This  has  been  another  Communion  Sunday 
here.  It  should  have  been  on  the  first  Sunday 
of  the  month,  but  the  'Missionary'  is  ill,  and 
they  could  get  no  one  to  take  his  place  until 
to-day.  I  little  thought  that  I  should  have 
another  opportunity  of  'keeping  the  feast' 
with  my  good  friends,  but  so  it  has  been,  and 
much  shaking  of  hands  we  had  when  all  was 
over.  How  often  I  shall  remember  it,  when 
I  am  far  away  ! 

Fanny  has  turned  this  house  into  a  veritable 
picture-gallery.  First  she  did  a  silhouette  of 
Ori  by  taking  the  shadow  of  his  head  on  the 
wall,  with  the  help  of  a  lamp,  drawing  the 
outline,  and  then  filling  it  in  with  Indian  ink. 
This  was  for  us  to  carry  away  with  us  ;  but  it 
turned  out  so  good  that  Ori  demanded  to  have 
all  our  likenesses  in  return,  and  she  has  been 
hard  at  work  to  satisfy  him,  Lou  doing  the 
outline  of  her  own  head  for  her.  All  are 
really  good,  but  I  think  mine  is  the  greatest 
success   of  the    lot,    and   I    wished   my   dear 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     243 

T could  have   seen   it.     He  was    never 

quite  satisfied  with  what  he  called  '  ordinary ' 
photographs  of  me !  Louis  has  printed  under 
them  all  our  names,  both  English  and  native. 
On  his  own  he  has  put, 

*  Teriitera, 

*  Robert  Louis  Stevenson, 
*  and  party,  came  ashore  from  yacht 
Casco,  November  188S  ;  and  were 
two  months  the  guests  of  Ori,  to 
whom,  having  little  else,  they  grate- 
fully bequeathed  their  shadows  in 
memoriam.' 

Under  Fannys  various  names  is  added, 
*  Made  these  shadows  for  the  house  of  Ori  the 
tall,  December  1888.' 

Friday,  Dec.  21, 
9.30  A.M. 

HURRAH  !  a  sail  in  sight ;  we  trust  it  is 
the  Casco,  and  are  thankful,  for  last 
night  was  stormy,  and  we  were  very  anxious 
about  her.  We  hear  that  Moe  and  her  daughter 
are  on  board.  ...  It  was  not  the  Casco  after  all ! 
but  in  the  evening  a  white  speck  appeared  on  the 
horizon,  which  was  pronounced  to  be  a  />aki, 


244     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

and  on  Saturday  morning  it  was  still  there, 
and  coming  nearer,  till  about  ii  a.m.  the  Casco 
cast  anchor  within  the  reef,  and  we  were  no 
longer  shipwrecked  mariners.  Moe  had  not 
come  after  all,  business  detained  her,  but  she 
sent  many  messages  to  us  all. 

On  board  the  '  Casco ^  at  sea^ 
Dec.  27,  1888. 

AS  soon  as  the  Casco  arrived,  Lloyd,  Valen- 
tine, and  I  came  on  board,  so  as  to  give 
the  Ori  family  more  use  of  their  house ;  but  Louis 
and  Fanny  stayed  on  shore  till  the  last  moment. 
The  captain  required  a  free  day  to  tighten 
the  riofSfino-  so  it  was  arranoed  that  we  should 

000'  o 

make  a  start  on  Tuesday,  Christmas  Day.  On 
Sunday  we  all  dined  with  Ori,  as  he  was  most 
anxious  to  entertain  the  captain  in  return  for 
his  hospitality  at  Papeete.  We  had  a  pair  of 
fowls  stuffed  and  cooked  by  Fanny,  two  roast 
pigs,  and  a  pudding,  also  made  by  Fanny,  and 
everything  was  very  good  indeed.  Ori,  I  may 
remark,  has  the  greatest  respect  for  Fanny's 
cooking  powers,  and  just  quietly  insisted  that 
she  should  prepare  the  things  for  his  feast ! 
We  of  course  provided  the  fruit,  etc.,  for  the 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     245 

pudding,  as  well  as  bread  and  champagne. 
On  Monday  Ori,  his  wife,  and  the  two  adopted 
sons,  Paerai  and  Terii,  lunched  on  board  with 
us,  on  salt  beef,  salt  pork  {salt  things  are  a 
great  treat  to  them),  and  an  immense  plum- 
pudding.  We  were  also  very  busy  packing 
and  transporting  our  goods  to  the  Casco. 

On  Tuesday  morning  I  went  ashore  about 
9  A.M.,  and  found  everybody  in  a  most  de- 
pressed condition  ;  poor  Madame  Ori,  weep- 
ing in  a  bedroom,  and  Ori  himself  with  tears 
filling  his  eyes,  and  just  ready  to  overflow. 
Lloyd  and  I  went  to  church  with  Ori  and  the 
chiefs  niece,  and  found  quite  a  Sunday  con- 
gregation,— indeed  they  go  to  church  just  as 
on  a  Sunday,  and  think  it  wrong  to  do  any 
work  on  Christmas  Day.  After  church  a 
number  of  the  congregation  came  to  say  good- 
bye, sitting  round  the  room  and  on  the 
verandah,  as  sad  and  solemn  as  if  they  were 
at  a  funeral.  We  only  managed  to  slip  out  for 
a  few  minutes  to  snatch  a  farewell  visit  to  Pere 
Bruno  and  the  chief.  At  11.30  the  captain 
came  with  the  boat  to  take  us  off,  our  final 
adieus  had  to  be  said,  and  we  tore  ourselves 
sorrowfully  away  from  the    kind  friends   and 


246      FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

the  lovely  place  where  we  had  spent  two 
happy  months.  Heavy  rain  came  on  after  we 
got  on  board  ;  but  in  spite  of  that,  Ori  and 
many  of  the  people,  both  young  and  old, 
gathered  under  the  trees,  at  the  place  whence 
they  could  watch  our  departure.  It  was  about 
2.30  before  all  was  ready  and  the  wind  favour- 
able ;  we  then  weighed  anchor,  and  as  we 
passed  out  through  the  reef  the  captain  fired 
thirteen  shots  from  his  rifle  and  the  flag  was 
thrice  dipped  in  a  farewell  salute.  Seven 
shots  were  fired  from  the  shore  in  answer,  and 
we  replied  with  another  three :  while  we  all 
stood  on  the  deck  frantically  waving  our  hand- 
kerchiefs to  the  friends  whom  we  could  still 
see  watching  us.  We  could  not  tear  ourselves 
away  till  they  were  quite  out  of  sight.  The 
rain  was  over  by  this  time,  and  the  sun  shone 
on  our  departure ;  but  it  was  a  very  sad 
Christmas  Day,  and  we  do  not  wish  to  make 
so  long  a  stay  at  any  other  place, — it  makes 
the  parting  too  trying.   .  .  . 

We  did  our  best  to  cheer  up  at  dinner,  and 
had  a  orame  at  whist  in  the  evening-,  but  it  was 
half-hearted  work. 

I  must  tell  you,  while  I  think  of  it,  a  bon  mot 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     247 

of  Ori's.  Louis  was  telling  him  about  his 
father  and  the  '  Northern  Lights ' ;  when  Ori, 
with  a  wave  of  his  hand  towards  the  portraits, 
immediately  said,  'He  made  lights,  and  she 
(Fanny)  makes  shadows.'  Louis  knows  a  good 
deal  of  Tahitian  now,  and  can  make  himself 
understood  with  only  the  occasional  aid  of 
diagrams  ;  and  he  and  Ori  have  had  long 
conversations.  Ori  always  wanted  to  know 
*  all  about '  Lou,  and  was  very  anxious,  to  be 
sure,  that  he  correctly  understood  what  was 
said.  One  evening  he  asked  Louis  how  much 
he  made  by  his  books,  and  when  he  was  told 
what  Kidnapped  brought  in  the  first  year,  he 
could  not  believe  that  there  was  not  some 
mistake,  and  though  it  was  10  p.m.,  went  off 
to  bring  the  chief  as  interpreter,  and  make 
sure.  As  they  scarcely  ever  read  themselves, 
it  must  be  strange,  and  almost  incredible  to 
them,  that  book-making  should  be  a  paying 
occupation !  Pere  Bruno,  by  the  way,  told 
Louis  two  things  that  I  think  are  worthy  of 
being  preserved.  On  the  Saturday  before  we 
left,  it  chanced  that  one  or  two  of  our  friends 
from  Papeete  arrived  in  Tautira  ori  a  pleasure 
trip.     Some  of  the  natives  promptly  told  Pere 


248     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

Bruno  that  the  French  Government  had  sent 
these  gentlemen  to  tell  '  the  rich  man  '  (Louis), 
that  he  must  leave  on  the  Sunday.  He  replied 
that  he  would  on  no  account  sail  on  Sunday, 
and  that  he  would  not  leave  till  it  suited  his 
own  convenience.  He  was  then  told  that  if  he 
did  not  leave  on  Sunday  he  must  pay  a  heavy 
fine  for  every  day  that  he  remained  on  the 
island.  To  this  the  *  rich  man  '  replied  that  a 
fine  was  nothing  to  him,  and  he  did  not  care  a 
pin  for  it,  and  the  story-tellers  wound  up  with, 
'  Voila  un  ho7mne  comme  il  faut ! '  Pcre 
Bruno,  even,  was  perplexed  by  so  circum- 
stantial an  account,  and  asked  if  there  were 
any  foundation  for  it,  which  of  course  there 
was  not. 

The  other  thing  is  that  this  same  Pere  Bruno 
is  Sfoinof  to  take  Louis  as  the  text  of  a  sermon  ! 
I  think  this  should  delight  Cummy's  heart 
when  she  hears  of  it,  and  I  wonder  how  often 
Lou  is  to  appear  in  the  pulpit,  either  in  person 
or  through  his  books.  This  time  he  is  to  be 
held  up  to  the  people  of  Tautira  because  he 
was  so  cheerful  and  uncomplaining  during  all 
his  stay  there,  *  though  he  had  to  put  up  with 
many  things  that  must  have  been  hardships 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     249 

to  him ' ;  and  then  his  style  of  dress  is  to  be 
held  up  as  an  example  :  '  he  only  wore  what 
was  useful  and  necessary,  and  never  went  in 
for  anything  ornamental  or  extravagant ' ! ! 
Louis  is  delighted  that  he  has  at  last  found 
someone  who  appreciates  his  taste  in  dress, 
and  wishes  he  could  have  a  copy  of  the  sermon 
to  send  to  some  of  his  scoffing  friends.  I  may 
here  privately  mention  that  /  think  his  dress 
should  rather  have  been  held  up  as  a  beacon 
to  warn  than  an  example  to  imitate,  seeing 
that  he  seldom  wore  anything  but  a  pyjama 
suit  intended  only  for  sleeping  in,  very  badly 
shaped,  and  dreadfully  unbecoming ! 

Well,  we  spent  nine  weeks  in  all  at  Tautira, 
and  so  far  as  Lou's  health  is  concerned,  the 
long  detention  has  proved  a  blessing.  The 
change  in  him  is  something  marvellous ;  all  the 
first  week  he  was  in  bed  with  constant  cough, 
high  fever,  and  all  the  worst  symptoms,  and 
now  he  is  better  than  I  have  known  him  since 
1 879,  is  able  for  a  good  long  walk,  and  has  been 
for  some  time  bathing  in  the  sea  almost  every 
day.  His  appetite,  too,  has  been  splendid — 
worthy  of  a  Teva  ;  he  has  been  able  to  write  a 
good  deal  and  has  nearly  finished  The  Master, 


250     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

and  we  think  and  hope  that  he  is  a  little  fatter 
even  than  when  he  was  in  the  Marquesas, 
which  was  the  highest  level  he  had, hitherto 
reached.  All  this  makes  us  start  on  our  journey 
northward — and  in  the  long-run  homeward — 
in  a  very  thankful  frame  of  mind. 

December  30. 

WE  are  having  delightful  weather  and  are 
fully  enjoying  our  '  summer  cruise  in 
the  South  Seas,'  though  it  has  lingered  on 
into  midwinter.  No  one  has  been  sick,  and 
we  have  fallen  back  into  our  former  routine, 
even  to  the  Decline  and  Fall.  We  do  not 
make  very  rapid  progress,  it  is  true,  but  I  for 
one  prefer  a  long  and  pleasant  voyage  to  a 
short  stormy  one.  On  Thursday  we  passed 
two  of  the  Paumotus  group,  Makatea  and 
TikahaUy  but  there  was  so  little  wind  that 
it  was  impossible  to  get  through  the  reef  and 
make  a  landing,  as  we  would  have  liked  to  do. 
On  Friday  we  sighted  the  mail-steamer  en 
route  to  Papeete,  and  tried  to  get  near  enough 
to  speak  her;  however,  after  coming  towards 
us  for  a  while  she  seemed  to  change  her  mind, 
and  returned  to  her  course.  .  .  .  The  heat  is 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     251 

greater  than  we  have  had  yet,  while  at  sea. 
In  the  heat  of  the  day  the  wood  of  the  deck 
almost  burns  our  hands  and  feet,  and  the  brass 
would  quite  do  so,  if  we  did  not  avoid  it.  We 
do  not  light  the  lamp  in  the  cabin  in  the  even- 
ing now,  because  it  overheats  it  so  much ;  so 
we  spend  the  evening  on  deck,  and  though 
there  is  no  moonlight  at  present,  the  stars  are 
so  brilliant  we  scarcely  miss  it.  Venus  casts 
a  broad  reflection  on  the  water,  quite  like  a 
young  moon,  but  I  fear  we  have  seen  the  last 
of  the  Southern  Cross,  as  just  now  it  does  not 
rise  till  four  in  the  morning.  I  have  only  just 
discovered  two  facts  that  may  amuse  you. 
While  at  Tautira  I  noticed  three  stars  that 
looked  very  like  Orion's  belt,  but  declared  it 
could  not  be  him,  as  he  had  neither  shoulder 
nor  knee,  nor  his  dog  running  after  him.  But 
soon  after  we  started  I  discovered  Orion  all 
complete,  and  I  discovered  too  that  the  reason 
I  had  not  recognised  him  before  was  that  he 
was  standing  on  his  head !  The  other  thing 
that  puzzled  us  was  a  beautiful  constellation 
of  small  but  very  bright  stars,  exactly,  as  Louis 
said,  like  an  old-fashioned  diamond  brooch, 
which  in   Tahitian  bears  the  pretty  name  of 


252     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

'little  eyes.'  This  now  turns  out  to  be  our 
Pleiades.  I  suppose  it  is  the  extreme  clearness 
of  the  atmosphere  that  makes  the  individual 
stars  look  so  much  larger  that  we  none  of  us 
recoo^nised  it. 

o 

January  i,  1889. 

ANOTHER  lovely  night  after  a  hot 
summer  day.  It  is  hard  to  believe 
that  this  is  New- Year's  Day,  and  harder  to 
realise  what  this  day  was  last  year  at  Saranac, 
when  we  shivered  amidst  the  surrounding 
snows.  How  like  a  dream  that  part  of  our 
trip  seems  now ! 

We  had  a  very  quiet  day,  and  the  only 
notable  event  was  that  we  had  stewed  duck 
for  lunch,  the  last  of  our  fresh  meat.  Louis 
dined  with  us — he  generally  takes  his  meals  in 
the  after-cabin  for  the  sake  of  greater  cool- 
ness,— and  our  dinner  consisted  of  salt  beef, 
salt  pork,  a  stew  of  tinned  mutton,  vegetables, 
duff,  and  champagne,  in  which  you  may  be 
sure  we  drank  to  you  all  at  home.  In  the 
evening,  as  a  mild  excitement,  we  played 
'  what  is  my  thought  like '  in  the  starlight. 
I  am  sorry  to  say,  however,  that  they  promise 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     253 

US     a    change    of     weather    with     the     new 
moon. 

January  6. 

THAT  promised  change  came,  with  a 
vengeance.  Since  Tuesday  night  the 
weather  has  been  very  unpleasant,  squalls  of 
wind,  rain  pouring  as  it  only  can  in  the  tropics, 
thunder  and  lightning,  hail  and  gloom.  For 
two  whole  days  we  were  shut  up  in  the  cabin, 
and  got  through  the  time  as  best  we  could 
with  the  help  of  Gibbon,  hat-plaiting,  and  cards. 
I  am  also  reading  Laurence's  life,  and  enjoy- 
ing it  very  much.  Though  we  have  had  more 
than  enough  wind,  it  has  never  been  from  quite 
the  right  quarter,  and  our  progress  is  terribly 
slow.  We  ought  to  be  nearing  Honolulu  (and 
our  letters !)  by  this  time,  and  instead  we  have 
not  yet  crossed  the  line ;  I  wonder  when  we 
shall  be  in  harbour  once  more ;  and  I  wonder, 
too,  how  our  stores,  at  any  rate  of  luxuries, 
will  hold  out.  When  we  left  Tautira,  Ori  gave 
us  a  boatload  of  fruit  and  vegetables,  which 
have  been  a  great  boon,  but  unfortunately  the 
rain  has  spoiled  the  bananas,  and  the  mangos 
too  are  on  their  last  leg-s.     The  vegetables  are 


254     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

almost  finished,  but  we  still   have   cocoa-nut 
cream  for  our  coffee. 

Ja7uiary  13. 

*  T  00 K  out  for  squalls'  is  a  phrase  I  shall 
-L/  never  again  make  use  of  in  the  light 
and  easy  way  I  have  done  hitherto.  It  has 
been  too  much  the  order  of  the  day  of  late,  and 
squalls  are  not  the  pleasantest  companions.  In 
fact  for  several  days  we  have  had  nothing  but 
alternate  squalls  and  calms,  and  have  made  no 
progress.  Yesterday  and  to-day  have  been 
a  little  better — the  squalls  have  quieted  to  a 
boisterous  but  uncertain  breeze — and  we  have 
at  last  crossed  the  line,  though  our  best  run 
was  only  130  miles  in  the  twenty-four  hours, 
and  we  are  still  a  long  way  from  Honolulu. 
To-day  the  wind  has  dropped  again,  and  we 
are  in  the  Doldrums,  and  shall  do  little  till  we 
pick  up  the  North-east  Trades.  As  long  as 
the  weather  is  fine  we  do  not  mind,  or  rather 
would  not  mind,  our  slow  progress,  were  it  not 
that  we  be^in  to  fear  our  stores  will  run  short 
if  the  voyage  lasts  much  more  than  another 
week.  However,  there  is  no  need  to  anticipate 
trouble.  .  .  . 


FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     255 

January  20. 

ON  Thursday  we  got  fairly  into  the  Trades, 
and  have  been  flying  along  at  a  great 
rate  ever  since,  making  170  miles  in  the  first 
twenty-four  hours,  and  230  in  the  twenty-four 
ending  to-day.  But  I  cannot  call  it  '  pleasure 
sailing,'  as  it  has  been  a  'beam  sea'  all  the 
time,  and  we  are  tired  out  with  the  constant 
holding-on  and  effort  required  to  keep  oneself 
fairly  steady.  Such  a  knocking-about  is  very 
fatiguing  after  a  time,  and  there  is  no  rest 
night  or  day.  The  spray  comes  over  so  much 
that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  sit  in  the  cock- 
pit ;  and  last  night,  though  only  a  small  bit  of 
the  lee  side  of  the  cabin  skylight  was  open,  a 
bucket  of  water  poured  itself  straight  on  to 
my  head  at  3.30  this  morning,  and  I  awoke, 
screaming  and  soaked.  I  took  refuge  on  the 
floor,  and  presently  saw  the  same  thing  exactly 
happen  to  Lloyd.  Fanny  suffers  a  good  deal 
from  sea-sickness,  and  declares  that  when  only 
she  reaches  Honolulu,  she  is  sfoing"  ashore  and 
never  means  to  leave  it  again.  The  captain 
has  bad  earache  in  both  ears,  so  we  shall  not 
be  sorry  when  the  voyage  comes  to  an  end, 
which  we  hope  it  may  do  by  Tuesday.     And 


256     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

then    for   six   months'   supply   of  letters   and 
papers ! 

Louis,  by  the  way,  declares  I  have  not  given 
you  at  all  a  proper  description  of  his  usual 
attire  at  Tautira — and  that  it  was  far  more 
artistic  and  less  conventional  than  I  described ! 
Well ; — I  wish  I  could  send  you  a  sketch  of 
it  .  .  .  this  en  passant,  and  suggested  by  the 
fact  that  since  Thursday  we  have  felt  it  much 
colder,  and  have  had  to  put  on  more  clothing. 
I  was  rather  amused  to  find  that  the  ther- 
mometer in  the  captain's  cabin  stood  at  84°, 
when  we  thought  it  so  cold ! — but  as  it  had 
been  98''  before,  a  drop  of  14°  and  a  high  wind 
were  bound  to  be  felt.  One  thing  we  have 
all  realised  lately,  and  that  is  the  loneliness  of 
this  great  ocean  ;  we  have  been  four  weeks  out 
and  have  only  seen  a  single  sail.  It  gives  one 
some  idea  of  the  hopelessness  of  expecting 
help  should  anything  go  wrong,  and  makes 
one  more  than  ever  thankful  for  our  safety 
hitherto. 

Tuesday,  Ja7i.  22. 

YESTERDAY    morning    at    10.30    we 
sighted   Hawaii,  a  lofty  mountain  with 
white  clouds  wreathed  about  it,  above  which 


MK.s.    -SIKVENSON    IN    1SS9 

WEARING   A   WREATH    GIVEN    TO    HEU    I!Y   KING    KAI.AK'ANA,    ON    LEAVING    HONOLULU 

From  a  photografyli  by  Mr.   IK  Crooke,  luU'ibiirg.'i 


FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS     257 

its  head  was  lifted.  We  were  spinning 
along  at  such  a  rate  that  the  captain  quite 
thought  we  should  reach  Honolulu  by  the 
evening,  and  we  were  pleasantly  excited.  But 
alas !  when  we  got  under  the  lee  of  the  land 
the  wind  fell ;  and  this  morning  we  are  be- 
calmed and  only  a  little  further  north  than 
the  bay  where  Captain  Cook  was  murdered. 
This  side  of  Hawaii  is  very  bleak  and  treeless, 
with  high  cliffs,  and  it  is  hard  to  be  stopped 
when  we  are  so  near  port,  but  I  am  thankful 
to  say  our  food  supplies  have  held  out.  That 
is  to  say,  we  have  still  salt  beef  and  macaroni 
and  tinned  tomatoes,  and  pickles  and  jam  ; 
and  we  have  a  very  little  flour  and  coffee  and 
sugar.  But  the  captain  is  suffering  much 
from  earache,  and  both  Louis  and  Valentine 
are  threatened  with  the  same,  so  you  may 
imao-ine  how  we  longf  to  '  o-et  in.' 

Wednesday,  i  p.m. — We  are  slowly  drawing 
nearer  to  Honolulu.  We  have  now  three  small 
islands  on  our  right,  Maui,  Lanai,  and  that  sad 
tomb  of  the  living,  Molokai ;  and  far  ahead  we 
can  see  the  very  striking  outline  of  Oahu.  We 
hope  to  land  in  time  for  dinner,  and  are  longing 
for  some  fresh  food  and  our  letters.    God  grant 


258     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

this  long  waited  for  news  of  you  all  may  be 
good  news  and  happy. 

Honolulu,  Friday,  25. 

AFTER  all  it  was  3  p.m.  on  Thursday, 
24th,  before  the  calms  allowed  us  to 
cast  anchor  in  the  harbour  of  Honolulu.  Our 
luncheon  that  last  day  consisted  of  salt  beef 
and  biscuit,  for  all  else  had  given  out ;  so  you 
see  we  narrowly  escaped  '  starvation  diet,'  and 
I  must  confess  our  dinner  that  night  at  the 
hotel  seemed  to  me  the  very  finest  banquet  of 
which  I  had  ever  partaken.  But,  oh  dear  me, 
this  place  is  so  civilised  !  And  to  come  back 
from  Tautira  to  telephones  and  electric  light  is 
at  first  very  bewildering  and  unpleasant.  I 
grant  the  conveniences,  but  we  realise  that  our 
happy  cruise  in  the  South  seas  has  come  to  an 
end.  Thank  God,  the  end  is  a  happy  one,  and 
we  are  met  by  good  news  of  all  we  love.  But 
it  is  the  end,  nevertheless. 


NOTES 

1.  Pilot-birds.  After  long  inquiry  it  has  been  found  impossible 
to  trace  this  name  satisfactorily,  or  to  discover  to  what  species  of 
bird  it  is  properly  applied.  From  what  Mrs.  Stevenson  says, 
and  from  the  following  note  in  her  son's  diary — 'To  the  limit 
of  the  north-east  trades  we  carried  some  attendant  pilot-birds, 
silent,  brown-suited,  quakerish  fellows,  infinitely  graceful  on 
the  wing  ;  dropping  at  times  in  comfortable,  sheltered  hollows 
of  the  swell  ;  running  awhile  in  the  snowy  footmarks  on  the 
water  before  they  rise  again  in  flight '  {Life  of  Robert  Louis 
Stevenson.,  ii.  43) — it  is  probable  that  the  birds  referred  to  are 
some  variety  of  petrel,  these  birds  being  so  called  from  their 
habit  of  'walking'  on  the  water,  in  reference  to  the  disciple  St. 
Peter.  But  there  is  no  record  of  the  name  of  '  pilot-bird '  being 
used  for  any  petrel.  In  the  Encyclopccdia  Britannica  there  is 
no  '  pilot-bird'  to  be  found  ;  it  is  not  included  in  the  Dictio7Jary 
of  Birds.,  and  Professor  Newton  (the  author  of  that  work)  does 
not  know  the  name.  In  Ogilvie's  Imperial  Dictionary,  edited 
by  Annandale,  there  is  the  following  :  '  Pilot-bird — a  kind  of 
bird  found  in  the  Caribbee  Islands,  so  called  because  its 
presence  out  at  sea  indicates  to  seamen  their  approach  to  these 
islands '  (Crabb).  This  reference,  however,  is  to  a  work  pub- 
lished in  1823,  which  gives  no  further  particulars.  It  seems 
probable  that  the  name  is  one  loosely  used  by  seamen,  for  the 
reason  given  by  Crabb  ;  and  possibly,  but  not  certainly,  applied 
to  some  variety  of  petrel. 

2.  Miiuiu  and  Holaku.  These  two  garments  are  the  ordinary 
wear  of  women  of  all  classes,  white  and  native,  throughout 
many  of  the  islands  of  the  South  Seas.  The  inumit  is  a  long 
chemise,  reaching  the  ground  so  as  to  replace  a  petticoat,  and 
generally  edged  with  a  flounce ;  the  holaku.,  a  loose,  full 
'  sacque '  hanging  from  a  yoke,  with  open  or  hanging  sleeves, 

259 


26o     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

and  frequently  a  train.  It  is  better  known  in  America  as  a 
'  Mother  Hubbard,'  and  is  worn,  like  the  micvm,  quite  uncon- 
fined.  Together,  they  make  up  a  costume  peculiarly  adapted  to 
the  climate  and  the  life,  in  its  absence  of  restraint  or  pressure 
anywhere  ;  while  its  appearance  is  graceful,  becoming,  and, 
in  the  brilliant  colours  beloved  of  the  native,  eminently  pic- 
turesque. 

3,  Boatswain  Birds.  The  boatswain,  better  known  as  the 
tropic-bird,  is  a  kind  of  tern  or  sea-swallow,  and  is  related  to 
the  frigate  or  man-o'-war  birds  of  tropical  waters.  It  belongs 
to  the  Phaeto?iides,  and  the  species  alluded  to  is  Phaeton 
rubricauda.  The  plumage  is  white,  with  two  long,  filamentous, 
red-tipped  tail-feathers,  from  which  (it  is  said)  the  sailors  call  it 
the  boatswain-bird,  these  feathers  being  supposed  to  resemble 
a  marline -spike.  I  have  also  found  its  shrill,  whistling  cry 
suggested  as  an  explanation.  They  also  call  it  '  teaser,'  and 
some  similar  names,  arising  from  its  manner  of  attacking  other 
birds  and  forcing  them  to  drop  their  food,  which  they  seize  as 
it  falls  before  it  reaches  the  water.  The  two  long  tail-feathers 
were  a  favourite  native  decoration  throughout  the  South  Sea 
Islands,  and  are  frequently  alluded  to.  Melville  says,  'The 
splendid  long  tail-feathers  of  the  tropical-bird  .  .  .  were  dis- 
posed in  an  immense,  upright  semicircle  upon  his  head,  their 
lower  extremities  being  fixed  in  a  crescent  of  guinea-beads  which 
spanned  the  forehead'  {Residence  in  the  Marquesas,  p.  84). 
In  Ratzel's  History  of  Mankind  (i.  197)  it  is  stated  that  'at 
one  time  no  article  of  commerce  was  in  such  demand  in  the 
Society  Islands.  The  feathers  were  stuck  on  to  banana  leaves, 
bound  on  the  forehead.  ...  In  the  Marquesas,  and  Easter 
Island  also,  feather  diadems  were  worn.'  Specimens  from  the 
Austral  Islands  are  in  the  Edinburgh  Museum  of  Science  and 
Art. 

4.  Nuka-hiva  and  the  Marquesas.  These  islands  have  been 
so  repeatedly  'discovered'  and  named,  that  in  self-defence,  one 
would  think,  they  have  reverted  to  their  native  appellations.. 
The  South  -  Eastern  cluster  (which  includes  Hiva  -  oa  or 
Dominica)  was  discovered  in  1595  by  Mendano,  who  gave  each 
island  a  Catholic  and  Spanish  baptism,  and  called  the  group 
the  Marquesas,  in  honour  of  the  Marquis  Mendoza,  viceroy  of 


NOTES  261 

Peru  ;  but  it  was  not  till  1792  that  the  North  -  Western  division, 
including  Nuka-hiva,  was  surveyed  by  Hergest  in  the  Dudalus, 
on  his  way  from  Falkland  Islands  to  Hawaii.  He  also  named 
the  islands  he  visited,  as  did  Marchand,  very  soon  after;  and 
this  North -Western  division  has  been  variously  known  as 
Hergest's,  Ingram's,  and  the  Washington  Group,  though  it  is 
now  properly  incorporated  with  the  Marquesas.  Nuka-hiva  at 
one  time  acquired  some  notoriety  as  the  place  where  Captain 
Porter  refitted  his  privateer  during  the  American  war,  and  in 
his  book  there  are  interesting,  though  not  very  reliable,  accounts 
of  the  island  as  he  found  it. 

The  history  of  the  group  has  been  of  late  years  'much 
complicated  by  the  coming  and  going  of  the  French.  At  least 
twice  they  have  seized  the  Archipelago,  at  least  once  deserted 
it  ;  and  in  the  meantime  the  natives  pursued,  almost  without 
interruption,  their  desultory,  cannibal  wars'  (R.  L.  S.,  In  the 
South  Seas,  p.  72).  Melville's  Residence  in  the  Marquesas  begins 
with  the  seizure  of  the  islands  by  the  French,  under  Du  Petit- 
Thouars, in  1842  ;  and  they  'still  retain  a  nominal  protectorate 
over  the  islands,  with  a  resident  and  a  small  garrison  at 
Nuka-hiva.  Since  1861,  however,  French  colonisation  has 
been  virtually  abandoned '  {Efnyclopadia  Britannica,  .\v.  564). 
Ellis  describes  them  as  mountainous  and  fertile,  but  adds  that 
'the  land  capable  of  cultivation  .  .  .  is  comparatively  small,  as 
they  are  not  protected,  like  most  others  in  the  Pacific,  by  coral 
reefs.  The  sea  extends  to  the  base  of  the  mountains,  and  thus 
prevents  the  formation  and  preservation  of  that  low  border  of 
prolific  alluvial  soil  so  valuable  to  the  Society  Islanders.  Deep, 
wide,  and  extensive  valleys  abound  in  the  islands,  and  are  the 
general  places  where  the  inhabitants  abide'  {Reseatrhcs,  iii. 
313).  Their  cannibalism  is  undoubted,  and  according  to 
Krusenstern  'in  times  of  famine  men  butcher  their  wives, 
children,  and  aged  parents.  They  bake  and  stew  their  flesh,  and 
devour  it  with  the  greatest  satisfaction.'  It  is  believed,  however, 
that  cannibalism  was  generally  confined  to  victims  slain  or 
taken  captive  in  war,  to  those  offered  as  special  sacrifices  to 
the  gods,  or  at  least  to  such  as  belonged  to  other  tribes  or 
valleys  ;  but  it  must  be  confessed  that  this  is  difficult  to  prove. 
Even    in    Ellis's   time,   the    population    of   the    islands   was 


262     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

diminishing,  and  both  the  physical  and  moral  character  of  the 
people  was  said  to  have  deteriorated  ;  though  he  adds  that, 
physically  considered,  the  Marquesans  are  among  the  most 
perfect  of  the  human  species.  His  own  experience  of  them  was 
limited  to  such  as  lived  in  other  islands.  These  he  found  gay, 
thoughtless,  vivacious,  and  somewhat  impatient  of  confinement 
or  teaching,  but  with  none  of  the  ferocity  he  expected ;  while 
at  the  same  time  he  bears  witness  to  the  universal  report  of 
their  debased  morals,  extreme  licentiousness,  and  racial  pro- 
pensity to  theft,  quarrelsomeness,  and  murder.  Each  valley 
or  tribe  was  for  itself  against  its  neighbour ;  each  chief  was 
autocratic,  and  the  cannibal  priesthood  supreme.  The  French, 
as  has  been  said,  for  a  long  time  did  not  penetrate  beyond  the 
seaboard,  and  made  no  effort  to  check  the  inter-tribal  wars  ;  it 
was  long  before  missionaries  could  settle  in  the  land,  and 
longer  before  their  teaching  took  the  most  partial  effect. 
Dordillon,  the  popular  Roman  Catholic  bishop,  did  indeed  do 
good  work  amongst  the  natives  during  his  life,  but  it  is  doubtful 
how  far  his  influence  was  permanent  in  effect ;  and  a  recent 
writer  has  said,  'One  cannot  but  regretfully  conclude  that 
civilisation  and  Christianity  have  done  them  much  physical 
harm  and  but  little  moral  good '  (Becke,  Wild  Life  in  Sotithern 
Seas).  When  to  this  we  add,  '  The  efforts  of  missionaries, 
whether  Protestant  or  Roman  Catholic,  have  hitherto  proved  of 
little  avail  in  seriously  converting  them  to  Christianity,  or  in 
improving  their  moral  and  social  condition'  {Encyclopedia 
Britanjiica^  xv.  564),  and  that  in  a  recent  volume  {Sunshine 
and  Surf^  Hall  and  Osborne,  published  1901)  it  is  stated  that 
the  population  of  Tai-o-hae,  once  a  large  and  thriving  native 
town,  is  now  under  a  hundred,  all  told  ;  and  that  Anaho,  still 
populous  at  the  time  of  the  Stevenson  visit,  has  since  been 
'  wiped  out '  by  smallpox,  the  history  of  the  islands,  past, 
present,  and  to  come,  is  indicated.  It  is  probable  that  in  a 
very  few  years  the  Marquesans  as  a  race  will  be  practically 
extinct. 

5.  Tai-pi-ki-kano,  '  Jiigh-water  and  vtean^  The  name 
of  the  chief  of  Anaho  is  written  in  later  letters  'Taipi-Kikino,' 
and  a  better  and  more  comprehensible  translation  of  this  is 
suggested  by  R.  L.  Stevenson,  in  his  volume  In  the  South  Seas, 


NOTES  263 

p.  46 :  '  .  .  .  Highiuater-nian-of-no-accou)it^  or,  Englishing 
more  boldly,  Beggar-on-horseback.' 

6.  Tattooing.  The  system  of  tattooing  is  closely  connected 
with  the  iapii^  and  like  it  has  religious  and  social  significance. 
Stevenson  calls  it  the  only  thing  in  the  Marquesas  that  now 
indicates  difference  of  rank  :  in  the  early  records  it  was  already 
observed  that  the  finest  designs  were  used  only  for  chiefs  and 
priests.  Both  in  the  Marquesas  and  the  Paumotus  Islands  the 
common  people  were  tattooed  principally  about  the  loins  in 
coarse  and  simple  lines  ;  while  the  tapu  or  high-chief  classes 
were  ornamented  with  large,  interlaced,  circular  markings  that 
covered  the  entire  body.  With  the  priests  it  was  carried  to 
the  extremest  degree  ;  it  is  said  that  even  the  most  tender 
parts  were  tattooed,  and  that  no  extent  of  natural  skin  was  left 
anywhere  visible.  Certain  designs  on  the  face  were  specially 
significant  of  rank  and  of  inherited  chiefdom.  Women  were 
much  less  tattooed  than  men,  save  when  they  themselves  ranked 
as  chiefs,  when  they  were  always  exempt  from  the  usual 
limitations  of  their  sex  ;  as  in  the  case,  elsewhere  mentioned 
and  described,  of  Queen  Vaekehu.  Melville  states  that  when 
he  lived  in  the  Marquesas,  now  more  than  fifty  years  ago,  the 
young  girls  were  but  slightly  tattooed  on  face  and  shoulders, 
and  on  marrying  or  bearing  children,  were  further  ornamented 
on  the  hands  and  feet.  In  fact,  he  looks  on  the  tattooed  hand 
and  foot  as  practically  a  badge  of  wedlock,  and  never  saw  it 
upon  an  unmarried  girl.  There  probably  are,  or  were,  many 
such  distinctions  that  have  been  lost  along  with  the  cere- 
monials of  other  days  ;  for  in  the  Marquesas,  at  any  rate, 
tattooing  was  so  closely  and  constantly  connected  with  canni- 
balism, that  it  has  now  been  strictly  forbidden  by  the  French 
authorities.  There  are  many  islands,  however,  where  it  is  still 
practised,  though  possibly  not  to  as  great  a  perfection,  the 
Marquesas  being  considered  pre-eminent. 

The  designs  are  carried  out  with  what  may  be  roughly 
described  as  mallet  and  chisel.  '  Some  of  the  implements 
terminated  in  a  single  fine  point,  and,  like  very  delicate  pencils, 
were  employed  in  giving  the  finishing  touches,  or  in  operating 
on  the  more  sensitive  parts  of  the  body.  Others  presented 
several  points  distributed  in  a  line,  somewhat  resembling  the 


2  64     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

teeth  of  a  saw,  .  .  .  some  presented  their  teeth  disposed  in 
small  figures,  .  .  .  and  I  observed  a  few  the  handles  of  which 
were  mysteriously  curved,  as  if  intended  to  be  introduced  into 
the  orifice  of  the  ear'  (Melville,  Residence  in  tJie  Marquesas^ 
p.  240).  The  commonest  form  was  perhaps  the  sharply 
serrated  'hoe,'  or  the  single  shark's  tooth  bound  to  a  con- 
venient handle,  and  with  these,  the  paddle-shaped  mallet.  No 
doubt,  however,  a  skilled  tattooer,  artist  as  he  must  have  been, 
adapted  and  invented  his  instruments  to  suit  himself. 

When  ready  to  work,  the  colouring,  already  prepared  from 
the  ashes  of  the  candle-nut  {Aleut-itis  triloba)^  mixed  with 
vegetable  juices,  was  placed  close  at  hand  in  a  cocoa-nut  bowl ; 
the  puncturing  instrument  was  constantly  dipped  into  it  and 
the  colouring  thus  carried  into  the  skin  at  each  blow  of  the 
mallet.  The  resulting  mark  was  dark,  nearly  black.  There  is 
no  mention  of  other  tints,  but  saflfron  was  sometimes  rubbed 
into  the  skin  to  heighten  the  effect,  and  it  was  usual  to  smear 
red  and  black  paint  over  the  tattooing  for  all  festivities,  as  it 
was  also  customary  to  cut  and  hack  the  arms  and  legs  with 
sharp  shells  in  time  of  mourning.  In  extreme  old  age  tattooing 
turns  green,  and  seems  to  shrink  or  blend  together,  till  the 
designs  carried  out  in  youth  and  carefully  'touched  up'  and 
preserved  all  through  life,  become  blurred  and  indistinct,  and 
finally  the  whole  skin  resembles  a  scaly,  greenish  hide.  But 
the  tattooing  of  a  Marquesan  of  good  birth,  through  extremely 
painful  and  even  dangerous  while  being  carried  out,  is  in  its 
way  an  undoubted  work  of  art,  and  has  been  described  even 
by  an  European  as  'handsomely  setting  off  a  handsome  man.' 

7.  Another  similar  tabu  is  mentioned  in  Melville's  book  on 
the  Marquesas,  p.  13.  In  speaking  of  his  arrival  at  Nuka-hiva, 
he  writes  :  'At  that  time  I  was  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  by  the 
operation  of  the  "  taboo  "  the  use  of  canoes  in  all  parts  of  the 
island  is  rigorously  prohibited  to  the  female  sex,  for  whom  it 
is  death  even  to  be  seen  entering  one  when  hauled  on  shore  ; 
consequently  whenever  a  Marquesan  lady  voyages  by  water, 
she  puts  in  requisition  the  paddles  of  her  own  fair  body.' 
R.  L.  Stevenson  says,  '  Tapii  encircled  women  on  all  hands. 
Many  things  were  forbidden  to  men  ;  to  women  we  may  say 
that  few  were  permitted.     They  must  not  sit  on  the  pac-pac\ 


NOTES  265 

they  must  not  go  up  to  it  by  the  stair  ;  they  must  not  eat  pork  ; 
they  must  not  approach  a  boat ;  they  must  not  cook  at  a  fire 
which  any  male  had  kindled'  (p.  49).  It  would  be  better, 
perhaps,  to  put  the  statement  in  another  form  ;  for  women 
were  not  so  much  debarred  from  all  that  was  tapu^  as  them- 
selves a  class  that  was  '  un-iapti^  or  '  incapable  of  tapii^  which 
is  practically  'not  noble,'  with  a  strongly  attached  religious 
signification.  Only  the  tapic  classes  go  to  heaven,  which  is 
the  land  of  ancestors,  or  of  souls,  in  the  Marquesan  legend 
Hawaiiki ;  for,  according  to  their  story  of  the  Creation,  their 
islands  were  in  the  beginning  raised  by  divine  force  from  that 
underworld  which  in  varying  forms  is  the  legendary  origin  of 
nearly  all  Polynesia.  Thereafter,  '  a  woman  '  gave  birth  to  the 
sea  and  the  germs  of  beasts  and  plants,  the  lower  order  of 
things ;  while  men  and  fish  were  ejected  from  the  caverns  in 
which  they  were  shut  up,  by  volcanic  outbursts  {History  of 
Mankind,  i.  313).  The  tapn  or  noble  classes  were  in  close 
connection  with  the  gods  ;  their  souls,  when  they  died,  went 
to  heaven  where  the  gods  live,  and  returned  thence  to  be 
embodied  in  the  various  orders  of  priests.  For  them  were  the 
sacrificial  orgies,  the  great  ceremonials  for  which,  it  may  be 
supposed,  the  cyclopean  '  high  places  '  of  the  past  were  built  ; 
for  them  was  cannibalism  in  its  religious  forms  and  as  tribal 
revenge.  Only  a  woman  holding  a  chief's  rank  was  exempt 
from  the  ban  laid  on  her  sex  :  all  others  were  i(7i-fapic,  they 
and  'their  male  attendants,  and  all  singers  and  dancers'  {id. 
p.  280).  It  has  become,  of  course,  in  the  passing  of  time,  singu-. 
lary  complicated  ;  but  in  the  beginning  iapti  was  no  more  than 
the  practical  expression  of  the  laws  of  religion,  and  class,  and 
sex,  as  they  understood  them. 

8.  Wild  Chicke7is.  Melville,  in  his  book  on  the  Marquesas, 
written  in  1846,  says  that  in  the  valley  of  Tior  (?,  his  spelling  is 
unreliable)  'there  were  a  considerable  number  of  fowls  .  .  . 
the  progeny  of  some  cocks  and  hens  accidentally  left  there 
by  an  English  vessel,  and  which,  being  taboo,  flew  about  in  an 
almost  wild  state  .  .  .'  (p.  246).  Hence,  probably,  the  'wild 
chickens'  mentioned  by  Mrs.  Stevenson. 

9.  Pigs.  The  pigs  of  Polynesia  are  referred  to  in  almost 
every  book  upon  the  subject.      They  were  one  of  the  four 


266     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

species  of  animals  found  in  Tahiti  by  Cook,  the  others  being 
dogs,  rats,  and  lizards  ;  but  the  present  breed  is  much  changed 
from  the  original  native  sort,  which  is  described  as  long-legged, 
hairy,  and  singularly  clean.  Lady  Brassey  {Tahiti,  p.  49) 
mentions  the  tameness  of  the  pigs  in  that  island,  and  says  that 
they  are  frequently  kept  as  pets.  '  In  Papeete  it  is  by  no 
means  uncommon  to  meet  ladies  walking  along  with  their  little 
favourites  carefully  brushed  and  combed,  with  dainty  blue  or  red 
rosettes  and  bows  on  their  necks  and  tails,  and  led  by  a  long 
ribbon,  like  the  pug-dogs  in  some  old  Dutch  pictures.'  R.  L. 
Stevenson,  however,  describes  the  Marquesan  pigs  as  more 
enterprising  :  '  Many  islanders  live  with  their  pigs  as  we  do 
with  our  dogs  ;  both  come  around  the  hearth  with  equal  free- 
dom :  and  the  island  pig  is  a  fellow  of  activity  .  .  .  and  sense. 
He  husks  his  own  cocoa-nuts,  and  (I  am  told)  rolls  them  into 
the  sun  to  burst ;  he  is  the  terror  of  the  shepherd.  Mrs. 
Stevenson,  senior,  has  seen  one  fleeing  to  the  woods  with  a 
lamb  in  his  mouth  .  .  .'  {hi  the  South  Seas,  p.  91). 

In  the  legendary  lore  of  the  South  Seas,  which  is  so  charm- 
ingly ready  to  account  for  the  origin  of  all  things,  there  is  a 
quaint  little  story.  It  is  related  that  when  the  gods  first  made 
the  world  and  all  that  dwelt  therein,  pigs  went  upright,  and  men, 
like  other  beasts,  on  all  fours.  This  however  displeased  the 
birds  and  reptiles,  who  said,  '  Shall  we  be  subject  to  a  thing 
that  crawls  on  four  legs,  because  he  be  called  man  ?'  And  they 
met  together  and  made  a  great  talking.  The  lizard  said,  '  Let 
the  pig  and  the  man  change  with  one  another,'  but  the  wagtail 
{sic)  said  'Not  so.'  .  .  ,  And  the  lizard  crawled  up  a  palm-tree, 
and  from  its  branches  dropped  right  on  to  the  pig's  back,  and 
drove  the  breath  from  his  body,  so  that  he  fell  on  all  fours  with 
a  humph,  and  behold,  he  has  never  since  got  back  his  breath 
or  walked  on  his  hind  feet.  .  .  . 

10.  Kooamua.  Robert  Louis  Stevenson  says  of  him  :  'Late 
leader  of  a  war  upon  the  French,  late  prisoner  in  Tahiti,  and 
last  eater  of  long-pig  in  Nuka-hiva.  Not  many  years  have 
elapsed  since  he  was  seen  striding  along  the  beach  of  Anaho, 
a  dead  man's  arm  across  his  shoulder.  "  So  does  Kooamua 
to  his  enemies  !"  he  roared  to  the  passers-by,  and  took  a  bite 
from  the  raw  flesh  .  .  , '  {In  the  South  Seas,  pp.  46,  47).     Mrs. 


NOTES  267 

Stevenson    barely   does    justice   to   this    remarkable    gentle- 
man ! 

II.  Idols.  These  were  many  and  varied,  but  may  be  roughly 
divided  into  two  classes.  In  one  of  these  there  was  some 
attempt  to  represent  (artificially)  a  human  form,  as  in  the 
example  mentioned  in  the  Letters,  and  the  great  idols  set  up 
beside  the  altars  of  the  maraes,  or  temples,  in  the  Marquesas, 
in  Tahiti,  and  on  a  still  huger  scale  in  Easter  Island  and 
elsewhere.  In  the  other  class  the  god  was  embodied  in  some 
natural  object — as  a  tree,  a  stone,  an  animal,  or  even  a  strip  of 
matting.  There  were  frequently,  however,  connecting-links 
between  these  two  divisions,  as  when  idols  were  carved  to 
represent  gods  that  were  also  embodied  in  natural  forms  :  for 
instance,  Melville  in  his  book  on  the  Marquesas  (p.  194)  speaks 
of  '  the  half  of  a  broken  war-club  wrapped  in  ragged  bits  of 
white  tappa,  and  the  upper  part,  intended  to  represent  a  human 
head,  embellished  by  a  strip  of  scarlet  cloth.  .  .  .  This  funny 
little  image  was  the  crack  god  of  the  island  ;  its  name  was  Moa 
ArtuaJ  At  the  same  time,  however,  Aiua  Mao  (as  it  is 
correctly  written),  the  Shark-god,  was  worshipped  in  his  natural 
form  of  the  blue-shark  {Squaltts  Glaucus),  and  had  in  his  honour 
both  priests  and  maraes.  It  is  noticeable  in  many  cases,  that 
the  carved  idol  does  not  always  or  necessarily  represent  the 
natural  form  in  which  the  god  is  said  to  be  embodied,  but 
rather  attempts  a  rude  suggestion  of  the  human  figure.  It  must 
be  added,  however,  that  the  Polynesian  has  some  dim  notion 
of  a  deity  too  great  or  too  remote  to  reproduce,  and  that  in  his 
mythology  it  is  only  the  gods  who  partake  of  the  nature  of  man 
who  are  directly  honoured  with  idols  and  temples.  Vatea, 
Fathcr-of-the-gods^  and  his  mother  The-vcry-beginning.,  who 
lives  in  The-i?iutc-land,  are  above  or  beyond  any  tangible  form 
of  worship. 

12.  Marquesa?i  dancing.  This  gymnastic  display  is  found 
also  in  Tahiti,  where  'one  man  would  jump  and  stand  on  the 
shoulders  of  the  man  in  front  of  him,  then  a  man  would  leap  on 
to  another  man's  neck,  and  they  would  simulate  men  on  horse- 
back' {Sunshine  and  Surf.,  Hall  and  Osborne,  p.  48). 

In  the  History  of  Mankind  (Ratzel,  English  translation 
by  Butler,  i.   192,  193)  are  illustrations  of  two  pairs  of  Mar- 


268     FROM  SARANAC  tO  THE  MARQUESAS 

quesan  dancing-stilts.  One  pair  appears  to  have  been  fastened 
to  the  feet ;  the  other,  of  bamboo,  is  furnished  with  long 
handles  as  a  support  to  the  dancer.  Both  are  finely  carved 
with  grotesque  figures  in  high  relief,  and  in  the  bamboo  pair 
there  seem  to  be  bands  or  wrappings  of  tapa  or  grass.  Circlets 
or  bands  of  woven  and  plaited  grass,  or  sometimes  of  leaves, 
are  the  usual  marks  of  tapu.  Dancing-ornaments  of  human 
hair  are  mentioned  further  on  by  Mrs.  Stevenson,  and  specimens 
may  be  seen  in  the  Edinburgh  Museum  of  Science  and  Art. 

13.  Manners.  If  for  'manners'  we  read  'morals'  this  may 
be  taken  as  rather  understating  the  case,  according  to  the 
evidence  of  all  who  know  anything  of  the  islands.  The  Mar- 
quesans  bear  a  bad  name  even  among  South  Sea  Islanders, 
and  seem  in  this  respect  incorrigible.  But  the  courtesy  and 
gracefulness  of  their  7)ia?incrs  has  always  been  admitted,  and 
it  has  been  remarked  that  '  Marquesan  girls  are  immoral,  but 
very  seldom  immodest.'  Too  much  importance,  however, 
must  not  be  ascribed  to  this.  '  It  is  optimism  to  take  for 
morality  the  indignation  shown  by  South  Sea  girls  at  trifling 
violations  of  custom  '  {History  0/  Majtkind,  i.  293). 

14.  Piper's  tiews.  An  old  Scots  expression,  said  to  originate 
from  the  fact  that  formerly  the  pipers  travelling  about  the 
country  from  clachan  to  clachan  and  house  to  house  were  the 
great  purveyors  of  news  and  gossip.  Naturally,  however, 
being  so  constantly  repeated  and  carried  by  so  many,  the  news 
was  often  'stale';  hence  the  answer  to  any  one  repeating  an  old 
story,  '  That 's  piper's  news.'' 

15.  Or  at  least  cannibalism  open  and  unashamed.  It  is 
difficult  to  find  any  definite  statement  on  the  matter.  R.  L. 
Stevenson  says:  'Two  or  three  years  ago,  the  people  of  a 
valley  seized  and  slew  a  wretch  who  had  offended  them.  His 
oft'ence,  it  is  to  be  supposed,  was  dire  ;  they  could  not  bear  to 
leave  their  vengeance  incomplete  ;  and,  under  the  eyes  of  the 
French,  they  did  not  dare  to  hold  a  public  festival.  The  body 
was  accordingly  divided  ;  and  every  man  retired  to  his  own 
house  to  consummate  the  rite  in  secret,  carrying  his  proportion 
of  the  dreadful  meat  in  a  Swedish  match-box'  {In  the  South 
Seas,  p.  95).  He  refers  also  to  incidents  that  are  at  least 
suggestive,  in  the  year  of  his  visit,   1S8S.     Still  more  recent 


NOTES  269 

testimony  is  as  follows  :  'We  met  a  Portuguese  who  had  lived 
for  years  in  these  islands,  and  he  told  us  that  on  one  occasion, 
a  few  years  ago,  he  went  with  a  tribe  on  some  expedition. 
They  saw  a  native  fishing,  and  called  to  him  to  come  over 
and  take  a  smoke.  Suspecting  no  danger,  the  man  accepted 
the  invitation,  whereupon  he  was  killed  and  eaten  before 
the  eyes  of  our  informant '  {Sinishinc  and  Siirf,  Hall  and 
Osborne,  p.  97).  A  little  further  on  in  the  same  volume  it 
is  stated:  'They  have  now  nominally  renounced  cannibalism, 
though  in  one  of  the  latest  Admiralty  Directories  they  are 
still  described  as  practising  it'  (p.  loi).  Again,  in  the  History 
of  Maiikind,  i.  159,  we  find  the  practice  of  head-hunting, 
which  is  not  yet  obsolete  ;  Kubary  stated  in  1883  that  in  the 
last  ten  years  only  thirty-four  heads  had  been  cut  off.'  The  close 
connection  between  head-hunting  and  cannibalism  has  been 
proved  in  many  islands.  Mrs.  Stevenson  herself  met  with,  and 
mentions  in  these  letters,  men  who  had  been  well  known  as 
cannibals  in  former  days,  and  they  are  not  necessarily  of  great 
age  ;  and  these  are  cases,  it  must  be  remembered,  that  date 
back  to  the  palmy  age  of  cannibalism,  when  no  secret  was 
made  of  it.  All  that  can  be  said  with  certainty,  therefore,  is 
that  it  was  openly  practised  within  the  last  half-century ;  but 
as  a  public  or  religious  custom  has  now  disappeared.  In  the 
form  of  private  vengeance  there  is  nothing  to  prove  that  it 
does  not  still  exist. 

16.  Pae-pae.  This  word  signifies  the  raised  floor  or  platform 
upon  which  Marquesan  houses  are  built,  and  in  a  larger  sense 
is  applied  also  to  the  great  stone  terraces  of  the  temples  and 
burying-places,  to  which  I  have  elsewhere  made  reference. 
These  were  the  pae-pae  tapii,  the  holy,  or  high,  places.  Even 
the  platform  of  an  ordinary  house  was  iapu,  probably  through 
some  association  of  idea  ;  it  was  the  only  stable  part  of  the 
building  ;  it  was  the  '  place  of  the  men,'  and  like  their  food,  and 
the  fire  that  cooked  it,  and  the  basket  in  which  it  lay,  was 
sacred  to  their  use.  The  women  of  the  household  might  not 
sit  on  the  pac-pae,  they  might  not  go  up  to  it  by  the  men's 
stair ;  it  was  the  men's  place,  and  iapit. 

These  raised  foundations  have  been  described  as  a  number 
of  large  stones  laid   in  regular  and  successive  courses,  and 


270     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

built  up  to  a  height  that  varied,  according  to  circumstances, 
from  four  to  ten  feet.  When  used  for  houses  they  were 
generally  some  thirty  to  fifty  feet  long  by  twelve  or  fifteen  wide  ; 
but  in  the  case  of  inaraes  or  temples,  and  the  prehistoric 
remains  buried  in  the  woods,  their  dimensions  are  extraordinary. 
The  houses  themselves  are  made  of  perishable  material,  and 
decay  at  once  if  deserted ;  but  the  pae-paes  on  which  they 
stand  are  indestructible.  Indeed,  there  is  reason  to  suppose 
that  some  at  least  of  those  now  or  lately  in  use  in  the  Mar- 
quesas maybe  of  considerable  antiquity.  Melville  says  of  them, 
writing  in  1842,  that  the  larger  pae-paes  used  for  the  maraes, 
or  sacred  enclosures,  not  to  speak  of  still  more  ancient  remains, 
bore  incontestable  signs  of  great  age,  and  must  have  been 
erected  by  a  people  possessed  of  considerable  mechanical  skill. 
'I  can  scarcely  believe,'  he  adds,  'that  they  were  built  by 
the  ancestors  of  the  present  inhabitants '  {Residence  in  the 
Marquesas,  p.  174).  Even  the  smaller  platforms  of  the  houses 
showed  no  signs  of  recent  construction,  and  he  never  became 
aware  of  natives  building  anything  of  the  sort  for  their  own 
use.  If  a  new  house  were  required,  it  was  erected  on  one  of 
the  innumerable  pac-pacs  that  stood  vacant  throughout  the 
valley,  dating  surely  from  days  of  larger  population  and  greater 
activity.  R.  L.  Stevenson  also  refers  to  'the  melancholy 
spectacle  of  empty  pae-paes.  .  .  .  Only  the  stones  of  the 
terrace  endure,  nor  can  any  ruin,  cairn,  or  standing-stone,  or 
vitrified  fort,  present  a  more  stern  appearance  of  antiquity' 
{In  the  South  Seas,  p.  28). 

17.  Thatching.  The  best  thatch  is  made  of  the  leaves  of  the 
pandanus,  or  screw  pine,  the  rui  fara,  doubled  over  reeds  or 
canes.  The  reeds,  about  six  feet  long,  are  then  fastened  to  the 
rafters,  and  the  leaves  both  sewed  and  tied  ;  layer  after  layer  is 
added,  and  when  finished,  the  interior  is  very  neat,  and  even 
artistic  ;  while  from  the  outside  nothing  is  seen  save  the  over- 
lapping points  of  the  leaves.  If  well  done,  thatching  of  this 
kind  will  last  from  five  to  seven  years ;  but  if  too  widely  spaced, 
the  rain  gets  in  and  the  reeds  soon  decay. 

Coco-nut  leaves  are  also  plaited  into  a  thatch  in  some 
places,  but  as  a  rule  are  only  used  for  temporary  buildmgs, 
being  neither  so  durable  nor  so  good  a  protection. 


NOTES  271 

18.  Coco-nut  juice.  It  is  incorrect  to  touch  the  nut  with 
the  lips  in  drinking,  as,  according  to  native  etiquette,  the  juice 
should  be  poured  direct  into  the  mouth.  Compare  with  the 
practice  of  ceremonial  Kava-drinking,  when  the  nut  is  presented 
to  the  drinker  with  prescribed  movements,  and  when  emptied, 
is  iossedhdick  to  the  Kava-bearer  waiting  to  receive  it. 

19.  ^  High  Places^  or  Jiati^'c  temples.  These  sacred  places, 
iae-pae  tapte,  of  the  old  faith,  are  still  numerous,  and  are  well 
worth  description  :  they  are  perhaps  the  most  interesting — 
they  are  certainly  the  most  suggestive — feature  of  the  islands. 
Some  have  been  in  use,  as  it  were,  but  yesterday  :  others  date 
back  to  a  past  that  in  the  South  Seas  is  prehistoric.  The 
least  of  them  is  amazing,  when  it  is  considered  what  the 
Polynesians  are,  and  of  what  they  are  capable  to-day ;  the 
greatest  and  oldest  are  cyclopean  and  inexplicable. 

In  the  Marquesas,  as  elsewhere,  these  inaracs  or  temples 
have  fallen,  not  merely  out  of  use,  but  into  decay.  Sometimes 
they  have  been  intentionally  destroyed,  more  often  they  are 
overgrown  in  the  tropical  woods,  and  the  Christianised  native  is 
learning  to  forget  them.  Their  associations,  in  these  '  man- 
eating  '  islands,  are  recent  and  horrible,  but  it  is  worth  noting 
that  they  do  not  importantly  vary  from  the  maraes  of  Tahiti 
and  other  places,  where  cannibalism  is  remoter  and  less 
certain.  This  can  be  shown  by  reference  to  some  of  those 
who  have  visited  and  examined  them. 

Melville,  in  his  Residence  in  the  Marquesas.,  says  :  '  In  the 
midst  of  the  wood  was  the  hallowed  "hoolah-hoolah  "  ground 
.  .  .  comprising  an  extensive  oblong//-// (;^a^-/a^)  terminating 
at  either  end  in  a  lofty,  terraced  altar,  guarded  by  rows  of 
hideous  wooden  idols,  and  with  the  two  remaining  sides  flanked 
by  rows  of  bamboo  sheds  opening  towards  the  interior  of  the 
quadrangle  thus  formed.  Vast  trees  standing  in  the  middle  of 
this  place  .  .  .  had  their  massive  trunks  built  round  with 
slight  stages  elevated  a  few  feet  above  the  ground  and  railed  in 
with  canes,  forming  so  many  rustic  pulpits  from  which  the 
priests  harangued  devotees  '  (p.  100).  And  again,  further  on  : 
'At  the  base  of  one  of  the  mountains,  and  surrounded  on  all 
sides  by  dense  groves,  a  series  of  vast  terraces  of  stone  rises 
step  by  step  for  a  considerable  distance  up  the  hillside.     These 


272     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

terraces  cannot  be  less  than  one  hundred  yards  in  length  and 
twenty  in  width.  Their  magnitude,  however,  is  less  striking 
than  the  immense  size  of  the  blocks  composing  them.  Some 
of  these  stones,  of  an  oblong  shape,  are  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet 
in  length,  and  five  or  six  feet  thick.  Their  sides  are  quite 
smooth,  but  though  square  and  of  regular  formation,  I  could 
see  no  work  of  the  chisel.  They  are  laid  together  without 
cement.  .  .  .  The  topmost  terrace  and  the  lower  one  are  some- 
what peculiar  in  their  construction  :  they  have  both  a  quad- 
rangular depression  in  the  centre,  leaving  the  rest  of  the 
terrace  elevated  several  feet  about  it.  .  .  .  These  structures 
bear  every  indication  of  a  high  antiquity,  .  .  .  [and  I  was 
given]  to  understand  that  they  are  co-eval  with  the  creation  of 
the  world,  and  that  the  great  gods  themselves  were  the  builders. 
[This]  convinced  me  that  the  present  inhabitants  knew  nothing 
about  them  '  (p.  172). 

In  writing  of  this  visit  to  which  his  mother  alludes,  R.  L. 
Stevenson  says  himself:  'As  far  as  my  eye  could  pierce 
through  the  dark  undergrowth  the  floor  of  the  forest  was  all 
paved.  Three  tiers  of  terraces  ran  on  the  slope  of  the  hill ;  in 
front,  a  crumbling  parapet  contained  the  main  arena  ;  and  the 
pavement  of  that  was  pierced  and  parcelled  out  with  several 
walls  and  small  inclosures.  ...  I  visited  another  in  Hiva-oa, 
smaller  but  more  perfect,  where  it  was  easy  to  follow  rows  of 
benches  and  to  distinguish  isolated  seats  of  honour  for  eminent 
persons  ;  and  where  on  the  upper  platform  a  single  joist  of  the 
temple  or  dead-house  still  remained,  ils  uprights  richly  carved. 
.  .  .  The  stones  were  sedulously  set,  and  I  am  told  they  were 
kept  bright  with  oil '  {In  ihc  South  Seas,  p.  99). 

When  we  turn  to  Ellis's  Polyncsimi  Researches,  we  find  that 
the  main  features  of  the  Tahitian  viaraes  were  still  the  same. 
He  describes  the  greater  temples,  tapu-tapu-a-tea,  as  containing 
many  maraes,  each  with  their  altars,  idols,  and  dormitories  for 
the  attendant  priests.  All  were  uncovered  overhead,  built  in  the 
midst  of  tapu  groves,  and  consisted  of  large  stone  platforms 
walled  at  the  sides,  with  a  fence  or  parapet  in  front,  and  a  high 
pyramidal  pile  or  series  of  steps  along  the  back.  He  gives 
the  measurements  of  these  terraces  in  the  viarae  of  Atehuru. 
They  were  two  hundred  and  seventy  feet  long,  ninety-four  feet 
wide  at  the  base,  and  fifty  feet  high  ;  the  topmost  terrace  being 


NOTES  273 

one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  long  by  six  feet  wide.  Each  step 
or  terrace  was  some  six  feet  above  the  preceding  one.  The 
outer  walls,  and  especially  the  corner-stones,  of  coral  and 
basalt,  were  laid  with  great  precision,  and  had  evidently  been 
hewn  or  squared  (vol.  i.  p.  340). 

To  these  extracts  must  be  added  the  notes,  found  here  and 
there,  of  prehistoric  remains  of  similar  design  in  other  islands, 
the  'stone  foundations  of  huge  tnmaes'  in  Pitcairn  Island,  and 
the  ancient  terraces  on  the  hills  of  Rapa.  In  Hua-hine,  one  of 
the  Windwards,  a  marae  in  terraces  is  found  beside  a  splen- 
didly built  road  of  cyclopean  stones  ;  in  Ponape  the  ruins  of 
Nanmatal  consist  of  'terraces  of  hewn  stone  divided  into 
chambers  by  pillars  of  basalt,  which  have  been  used  as  tombs.' 
One  of  these,  the  tomb  of  the  kings  of  Matalanim,  'rises  on  a 
base  six  feet  high  by  two  hundred  and  ninety  feet  long  and 
two  hundred  and  thirty  feet  broad,  to  a  height  of  nearly  thirty 
feet,  with  walls  ten  feet  thick,  composed  of  basalt  columns' 
{History  of  ManJdnd^  Ratzel,  vol.  i.  p.  159).  In  Easter  Island, 
the  great  terraced  »ia7'aes  are  still  adorned  with  their  idols. 
'  Their  great  number  is  no  less  astonishing  than  their  size  and 
the  comparative  high-level  of  their  workmanship.  Even  now 
they  are  reckoned  at  several  hundreds  ;  their  height  is  nearly 
fifty  feet,  while  in  one  case  the  width  across  the  shoulders  is 
not  less  than  ten  feet.  .  .  .  Many  have  been  thrown  down  .  .  . 
others  still  stand  on  broad  platforms  built  of  hewn  stone. 
Some  have  hieroglyphics  carved  on  their  backs.  These  images, 
weighing  many  tons,  must  at  one  time  have  been  lowered  down 
the  mountain  by  hawsers  and  .  .  .  engraved  in  pits  below.  ,  .  . 
There  is  also  masonry  adapted  to  various  purposes,  in  the  shape 
sometimes  of  great  staged  platforms,  sometimes  of  huts  above 
or  below  ground,  and  with  or  without  internal  ornaments  of 
colour'  {Ibid.  pp.  159,  160). 

It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  these  and  other  great  remains 
could  have  originated  with  such  a  race  as  the  Polynesians  of 
to-day.  In  Easter  Island,  for  instance,  the  arts  of  stone-cutting 
and  writing  are  alike  lost,  and  it  has  been  declared  that  these 
great  works  can  have  been  executed  by  no  Easter  Islander  ;  in 
Nuka-hiva  of  the  Marquesas,  Melville  is  persuaded  that  at 
least  the  larger  remains  cannot  have  been  built  by  the  an- 


2  74     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

cestors   of  the  present   inhabitants   {Residence  in   the  Mar- 
quesas, p.  174). 

But,  indeed,  these  antiquities  are  beyond  our  data.  Of  the 
younger  temples,  tradition  tells  us  that  their  foundations  were 
laid  in  blood,  and  planted  on  the  heart  or  eyeball  of  a  human 
victim.  We  know  that  their  terraces  were  bloodstained,  and  that 
the  blood  upon  their  altars  was  fresh  within  a  man's  memory. 
But  this  is  only  the  history  of  yesterday  ;  we  have  no  record  of 
the  remoter  past. 

20.  This  is  the  JIatnboyanf,  a  name  generally  applied  to 
Caesalpinia  pulcherrima,  though  in  the  western  islands  it  is 
sometimes  used  for  the  Erythrina.      See  note  78. 

21.  War  in  Raiaiea.  This  refers  to  one  of  the  frequent 
rebellions  of  the  inhabitants  of  Raiatea  (Society  Islands) 
against  the  French  rule,  which  culminated,  a  few  years  later,  in 
their  hoisting  a  Union  Jack  and  declaring  themselves  under 
British  protection.  For  international  reasons  this  had  to  be 
disallowed  ;  but  it  is  a  matter  for  regret  to  find  it  recorded  that 
H.M.  Consul  at  Papeete,  having  failed  to  induce  the  natives  to 
lower  it,  stood  by  while  the  French  man-of-war,  after  due  notice, 
shot  it  down  from  the  flagstaff. 

22.  Bread-fruit.  An  excellent  description  of  this  is  given  by 
Melville  in  his  Residence  ift  the  Marquesas,  p.  127.  The  fruit 
somewhat  resembles  in  magnitude  and  general  appearance  one 
of  our  citron-melons  of  ordinary  size  ;  but,  unlike  the  citron,  it 
has  no  sectional  lines  drawn  along  the  outside.  Its  surface  is 
dotted  all  over  with  little  conical  prominences,  looking  not 
unlike  the  knobs  on  an  antiquated  church  door.  The  rind  is 
perhaps  an  eighth  of  an  inch  thick,  and  denuded  of  this  at  the 
time  when  it  is  in  the  greatest  perfection,  the  fruit  presents  a 
beautiful  globe  of  white  pulp,  the  whole  of  which  may  be  eaten, 
with  the  exception  of  a  slender  core,  which  is  easily  removed. 
.  .  .  The  fruit,  when  in  a  particular  stage  of  greenness,  is 
placed  among  the  embers  of  a  fire  in  the  same  way  that  you 
would  roast  a  potato.  After  the  lapse  of  ten  or  fifteen  minutes 
the  green  rind  embrowns  and  cracks,  showing  through  the 
fissures  in  its  sides  the  milk-white  interior.  As  soon  as  it 
cools  the  rind  drops  off,  and  you  then  have  the  round  pulp  in 
its  purest  and  most  delicious  state.' 


NOTES  275 

There  are,  however,  many  other  ways  of  cooking  and  prepar- 
ing it.  As  ka-ku,  elsewhere  mentioned  (pp.  loi,  276),  it  is  said 
to  be  excellent,  and  roasted  as  above  and  then  soaked  in  water 
is  a  favourite  native  dish.  IJoth  in  the  Marquesas  and  Tahiti  it 
is  stored  at  the  height  of  the  season  for  future  use.  Sometimes 
it  is  baked  in  huge  ovens  in  the  ground,  and  only  taken  out  as 
required.  Another  method  is  to  mash  it  and  allow  it  slightly 
to  ferment  ;  it  is  then  wrapped  in  //  leaves  and  stored  in  pits, 
whence  it  is  lifted  and  cooked  when  wanted  for  use.  Poi-poi 
is  made  from  it,  as  well  as  from  iaro  and  fci  (the  mountain 
banana),  or  a  mixture  of  hoih,  />o/-poi  being  the  staple  dish  of 
the  islands,  and  made  from  that  plant  that  is  most  plentifully 
available.  But  the  bread-fruit  is  never  eaten  raw  save  by  pigs  ; 
and  it  is  better  described  as  a  '  vegetable  '  than  as  a  fruit,  the 
taste  and  character  resembling,  but  not  equalling,  the  Euro- 
pean potato.  Even  its  feeding  qualities  have  been  disputed. 
Ellis  says  in  his  Researches  (i.  p.  41),  that  it  is  'very  nutritious, 
as  a  very  perceptible  improvement  is  often  manifest  in  the 
appearance  of  the  people  a  few  weeks  after  the  bread-fruit 
season  has  commenced,'  while  in  the  Encyclopccdia  Britannica 
we  find  the  exactly  opposite  statement,  that  '  it  is  not  by  any 
means  so  nutritious  as  the  taro  or  yavt.  .  .  .  The  present 
writer  has  noticed  that  the  Samoans  suffered  much  in  condition, 
and  sickness  among  children  was  very  common,  and  the 
mortality  high  during  the  bread-fruit  season.' 

All,  however,  are  ready  to  recognise  the  beauty  and  value  of 
the  tree,  of  which  there  are  some  fifty  varieties  in  Tahiti,  all  of 
them  extremely  handsome,  both  in  growth  and  foliage.  When 
hundreds  of  green  or  golden  fruit  hang  among^  its  dark  shining 
leaves,  no  finer  object  can  be  imagined.  It  is  also  very  useful. 
Besides  producing  two  and  even  three  crops  of  fruit  in  the  year, 
the  resin  that  flows  from  the  punctured  bark  is  used  to  caulk 
the  seams  of  the  native  boats.  The  timber  is  employed  in 
building  both  canoes  and  houses,  and  is  durable  and  very  fine 
in  colour.  Finally,  in  some  of  the  islands,  and  notably  in 
Tahiti,  the  finest  /apa  or  native  cloth  is  made  from  the  bark 
of  the  Artocarpus  i?ictsa,  or  bread-fruit  tree,  though  in  the 
Marquesas  the  bark  of  the  paper  mulberry,  Morus  papyrifera^ 
called  by  the  islanders  the  aiiti,  or  cloth-tree,  is  used  for  that 
purpose. 


2  76     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

In  Polynesian  legendary  lore,  also,  the  bread-fruit  has  a  place, 
and  this  is  the  story  told  of  its  origin  : — 

It  seems  that  in  the  days  of  a  certain  king,  when  people  ate 
the  '  red  earth '  {araca),  there  were  a  man  and  his  wife  who  had 
one  well-beloved  son.  He  was  their  joy  and  also  their  sorrow, 
for  he  was  weak  and  ailing  and  unable  to  fight  or  thrive  ;  and 
the  man  said  to  his  wife  :  '  Behold,  my  heart  is  lamenting  over 
this  matter  ;  our  son  cannot  eat  the  red  earth,  and  therefore  he 
cannot  grow  into  a  man.  I  will  die  and  become  food  for  him, 
that  he  may  eat  and  thrive.' 

'  But  how  may  that  be  ?'  said  the  wife. 

'  I  will  go  and  pray  to  my  gods,'  he  answered;  'they  will 
know  how  it  may  be.' 

So  he  prayed  and  got  answer  ;  and,  calling  his  wife  to  him, 
he  said  :  '  Behold  now,  I  am  about  to  die  ;  when  I  am  dead, 
take  then  my  body  separate,  and  plant  my  head  in  one  place, 
and  my  heart  and  stomach  in  another,  and  go  into  the  house 
and  wait.  When  you  shall  have  heard  the  sound  of  a  bud 
bursting,  and  the  sound  of  a  flower  unfolding,  and  the  sound  of 
an  unripe  fruit  swelling,  and  the  sound  of  a  ripe  fruit  falling  on 
the  ground,  you  will  know  that  I  have  become  food  for  my  son, 
and  you  will  give  him  to  eat.' 

And  when  she  did  as  he  bade,  and  took  her  son  out  of  the 
house  to  give  him  to  eat,  there  stood  a  splendid  tree  laden  with 
fruit  ;  and  he  plucked  the  fruit,  and  gave  the  first  of  it  to  his 
gods  and  to  the  king,  and  he  ate  and  grew  strong.  .  .  . 

23  and  24.  Ka-kii.  Melville  describes  the  grater  used  by 
the  natives  in  the  preparation  of  this  dish.  '  This  is  done  by 
means  of  a  piece  of  mother-of-pearl  shell,  lashed  firmly  to  the 
extreme  end  of  a  heavy  stick,  with  its  straight  side  accurately 
notched  like  a  saw'  {Residence  in  the  Marquesas,  p.  127).  He 
also  describes  the  cream  as  being  squeezed  from  the  grated 
fruit  alone,  without  the  addition  of  any  of  the  juice  {Ibid.  p.  1 28). 

25.  Reed-pipe.  '  It  is  somewhat  longer  than  an  ordinary  fife, 
is  made  of  a  beautiful  scarlet-coloured  reed,  and  has  four  or  five 
stops,  with  a  large  hole  near  one  end,  which  latter  is  held  just 
beneath  the  left  nostril.  The  other  nostril  being  closed  by 
a  peculiar  movement  of  the  muscles  about  the  nose,  the  breath 
is  forced  into  the  tube,  and  produces  a  soft  dulcet  sound  .  .  .' 


NOTES  277 

(Melville,  Residence  in  the  Marquesas,  p.  25 1 ).  I  have  not  found 
mention  of  any  other  musical  instrument  in  the  Marquesas, 
apart  from  the  drum  and  the  sticks,  tapped  together,  as  an 
accompaniment  to  the  voice. 

26  and  27.  Adoption  and  decrease  of  population.  It  is  a  common 
practice  to  account  for  the  decrease  of  population  in  many  of 
the  South  Sea  Islands  (for  in  some  there  is  no  such  decrease) 
by  the  influence  of  civilisation.  Foreign  habits,  clothing,  and 
restrictions,  foreign  vices  and  foreign  disease,  are  made  to  bear 
the  entire  blame,  though  the  evidence  is  strong  against  such  a 
sweeping  statement ;  and  it  cannot  be  denied  that  foreign  rule, 
if  not  always  wise,  does  at  least  endeavour  to  safeguard  public 
health  and  the  birth-rate.  Moreover,  it  must  be  admitted  that 
in  certain  islands  such  habits  of  debauchery  prevailed  that  it 
was  barely  possible  to  make  matters  worse  ;  and  if  disease  has 
been  imported,  this  alone  could  not  account  for  a  state  of  things 
that  existed  already.  For  'important  phenomena  in  the  social 
life  of  the  island  races,  such  as  adoption  in  its  various  forms 
and  the  ruined  state  of  large  houses,  point  to  a  long  previous 
period  of  this  lamentable  decrease'  (Ratzel,  History  of  Man- 
kind, i.  p.  159).  When  Ellis  wrote  his  Poly7icsian  Researches, 
early  in  the  last  century,  he  stated  that  the  population  of  the 
Marquesas  was  then  diminishing,  and  that  it  had  physically 
deteriorated  ;  and  he  says  of  Tahiti,  that  when  he  first  knew  the 
island,  '  the  nation  appeared  to  be  on  the  verge  of  extinction' ; 
and  it  was  not  till  18 19  or  1820  that  the  birth-  and  death-rate 
were  nearly  equalised.  This  is,  indeed,  not  difficult  to  believe, 
when  it  is  remembered  that  inter-tribal  warfare  was  so  nearly 
continuous  that  a  three-years'  peace  was  extraordinary  in  their 
annals  ;  that  human  sacrifices — and  in  the  Marquesas  canni- 
balism— made  hundreds  of  victims  in  every  year  ;  and  that 
infanticide  and  abortion  were  constantly  and  universally 
practised.  To  what  extent  this  was  carried  we  can  form  some 
idea  from  Ellis's  Researches  (vol.  i.  p.  257).  He  states  that  after 
full  inquiry,  he  believes  that  two-thirds  of  the  children  were 
killed  as  soon  as  born  ;  that  he  himself  knew  women  who  had 
respectively  murdered  six,  eight,  or  ten  of  their  infants  ;  and 
that  in  almost  every  case  the  first  three  were  so  disposed  of. 
His  washerwoman  owned  to  having  killed  five  or  six,  and  out 


278     FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

of  eight  another  had  only  kept  one  ;  and  in  1829,  while  dis- 
cussing the  subject  with  a  visitor,  three  respectable  and  decent 
native  women  present,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  not  forty  years 
of  age,  confessed  that  they  had  killed  twenty-one  of  their 
children,  the  numbers  being  respectively  nine,  seven,  and  five. 
He  adds  emphatically,  '  I  could  not  meet  with,  nor  even  hear  of, 
one  female  who  had  not  at  some  time  done  the  same.' 

It  is  evident  from  these  and  other  figures  quoted  that  in 
Tahiti,  at  least,  and  probably  in  the  Marquesas  (where  in  very 
recent  days  the  women  were  unwilling  to  'spoil  their  beauty'  by 
bearing  children  while  still  young),  the  natural  birth-rate  cannot 
have  been  phenomenally  low.  The  wholesale  destruction  of 
so  many  infants  had,  however,  several  results  :  it  reduced  the 
proportion  of  women  to  one  to  four  or  five  men,  and  encouraged 
the  practice  of  polyandry  and  the  recognition  (to  some  degree) 
of  the  matriarchate.  When  we  add  to  these  the  customs  of 
cannibalism  or  human  sacrifice,  and  of  constant  inter-tribal 
warfare,  as  well  as  the  habits  of  immorality  common  to  these 
races,  it  is  not  difficult  to  believe  that  the  decrease  of  popula- 
tion can  only  in  part  be  attributed  to  the  effect  of  civilisa- 
tion. 

The  adoption  of  children  is  usually  considered  to  be  caused 
by  this  decrease,  and  doubtless  this  is  generally  correct  ; 
childless  parents  who  desire  heirs  will  rather  adopt  them  than 
remain  childless,  and  the  value  of  sons  is  recognised  amongst 
all  primitive  peoples.  But  there  is  another  and  curious  ex- 
planation of  the  custom  found  in  Samoa  which  is  worth  quoting, 
for  it  may  very  well  also  apply  to  other  of  the  islands.  There 
appears  to  have  been  a  general  rule  that  a  child  was  given  to  a 
father's  sister.  In  return  she  gave  the  child's  parents  what  was 
known  as  '  foreign '  property,  or  oloa^  the  child  being  looked  on 
as  'native'  property,  or /6i;/<,'v?.  This  practice  was  continuous 
while  the  child  lived  ;  it  therefore  became  a  sort  of  medium  for 
trade,  the  native  property,  or  iotiga  (fish,  fruit,  etc.),  always 
passing  to  the  adopted  from  the  real  parents,  and  the  foreign  or 
oloa  (mats,  cloth,  and  so  on)  to  the  real  fro7n  the  adopted 
parents.  'Hence  the  custom  was  not  so  much  the  want  of 
natural  affection  as  the  sacrifice  of  it  to  a  systematic  facility  of 
traffic.  .  .   .    Hence   also   parents  may   have   in   their  family 


NOTES  279 

adopted   children,   while   their  own   children   are   elsewhere' 
(Turner,  Samoa  One  Hundred  Years  Ago,  p.  83). 

It  is  only  fair  to  add  that  the  children,  once  allowed  to  live, 
are  universally  treated  with  kindness  and  affection,  both  by  the 
real  and  adopted  parents.  I  have  also  been  told  that  wherever 
the  couvade  in  a  modified  form  is  practised  (as  in  the  Mar- 
quesas, where  the  father  abstains  from  flesh-meat  and  from 
hard  work  for  a  month  after  the  child's  birth),  in  the  case  of 
adoption  before  birth,  it  is  the  adoptive  father  and  mother  who 
follow  these  customs,  and  not  the  actual  parents.  This,  how- 
ever, I  have  not  been  able  to  verify. 

28.  Tai-o-hae.  It  is  interesting  to  quote  from  a  volume  more 
recent  by  thirteen  years  than  the  visit  of  the  Stevensons  : — 

'  This  is  indeed  a  lovely  bay.  It  is  almost  landlocked,  having 
a  very  narrow  entrance,  and  the  mountains  rise  steeply  on  every 
side  of  it  for  several  hundred  feet,  all  clothed  in  most  brilliant 
green  tropical  jungle.  .  .  .  Tai-o-hae  is  a  very  different  place 
now  from  what  it  was  in  former  times,  even  when  Stevenson 
wrote  about  it.  Now  there  is  no  club,  very  little  trade,  and 
only  one  white  trader  ;  and  the  whole  place  seems  to  be 
absolutely  going  to  rack  and  ruin.  The  village  at  one  time 
(in  1840)  was  stated  to  have  a  population,  although  it  is  hardly 
credible,  of  eighteen  thousand.  What  a  come-down  it  is  to  the 
wretched  ninety  inhabitants,  which  the  Administrator  told  me 
was  the  total  population  of  the  island  capital '  {Sunshine  and 
Surf,  Hall  and  Osborne,  pp.  103,  104). 

29.  Queen  Vaekehit.  Stevenson  says  of  her  :  ',This  was  a 
queen  of  cannibals.  She  was  tattooed  from  head  to  foot,  and 
perhaps  the  greatest  masterpiece  of  that  art  now  extant,  so  that 
a  while  ago,  before  she  was  grown  prim,  her  leg  was  one  of  the 
sights  of  Tai-o-hae.  She  had  been  passed  from  chief  to  chief ; 
she  had  been  fought  for  and  taken  in  war  ;  perhaps,  being  so 
great  a  lady,  she  had  sat  on  the  high  place,  and  throned  it 
there,  alone  of  her  sex,  while  the  drums  were  going  twenty 
strong,  and  the  priests  carried  up  the  bloodstained  baskets 
of  long-pig'  {In  the  South  Seas,  p.  75).  Elsewhere  I  find 
that  there  is  '  a  common  report  about  her,  which  I  believe  is 
true,  that  years  ago  she  got  tired  of  her  husband,  the  prince 
consort,  and  had  him  killed,  and  ate  him.      Now  she  is  "very 


28o     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

missionary,"  and  has  even  had  a  special  road  made  from  her 
"palace"  to  the  Catholic  mission'  {Sunshine  mid  Surf,  Hall 
and  Osborne,  p.  103). 

30.  The  girls'  school.  In  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  sisters, 
it  cannot  be  said  that  any  marked  effect  is  produced  by  their 
teaching.  To  Mr.  Stevenson  they  '  lamented  their  failure.  .  .  , 
They  complain  of  the  heartless  indifference  of  the  girls.  Out 
of  so  many  pretty  and  apparently  affectionate  pupils  whom  they 
have  taught  and  reared,  only  two  have  ever  returned  to  pay  a 
visit  of  remembrance  to  their  teachers '  {I71  the  South  Seas, 
p.  57).  It  is  also  stated  that  'as  soon  as  the  girls  leave  the 
control  of  the  sisterhood,  all  restraint  appears  to  vanish.  .  .  .' 
Such  an  idea  as  getting  married  never  enters  their  heads,  and 
would  be  thought  a  useless  and  troublesome  ceremony.  They 
do  indeed  sometimes,  to  please  the  sisters,  go  through  the  cere- 
mony, but  do  not  consider  it  at  all  binding'  {Sunshine  and 
Surf,  Hall  and  Osborne,  p.  100). 

31.  Stanislas  Moanatini.  It  is  stated  in  Sunshine  and  Surf 
that  he  died  not  long  after  Mr.  Stevenson's  visit  to  the  island. 

32.  Tapa.  The  native  cloth  of  the  South  Sea  Islanders 
varies  not  only  in  quality  and  decoration,  but  also  in  the  special 
bark  from  which  it  is  made.  In  Tahiti,  where  it  is  called  ahu, 
the  natives  make  use  of  the  Aoa  (a  kind  of  banyan),  the  bread- 
fruit, and  the  paper  mulberry  ;  but  in  the  Marquesas  only  the 
latter  is  employed,  and  is  called  by  the  islanders  the  auti,  or 
cloth-tree. 

When  the  young  branches  are  gathered  and  the  bark 
removed,  there  is  found  a  fibrous  substance,  the  bast,  which  is 
carefully  loosened  and  stripped  from  the  stick  ;  and  as  soon  as 
enough  of  this  has  been  collected,  it  is  wrapped  up  in  leaves, 
and  the  package  set  to  soak  for  two  or  three  days  in  running 
water.  It  is  ready  for  the  next  process  when  the  fibres  are  on 
the  point  of  commencing  to  rot,  and  have  completely  lost  their 
tough  and  wiry  quality.  They  are  then  laid  in  layers  on  a 
smooth,  hard  surface,  and  beaten  steadily  and  regularly  with  a 
kind  of  mallet.  This  mallet  or  beater  is  not  flat,  but  slightly 
ribbed,  and  it  is  this  ribbing  that  produces  the  '  watered '  or 
striped  effect  noticeable  in  all  good  tapa,  especially  when  very 
fine  and  thin.     The  different  layers  of  bast  are  very  soon  amal- 


NOTES  281 

gamated,  and  in  a  surprisingly  short  time  can  be  hammered  out 
into  any  degree  of  thickness  that  is  required  ;  in  less  than  an 
hour  the  strips  will  expand  into  a  square,  and  presently  the  tapa 
is  ready  to  be  stretched  out  to  dry  and  bleach.  In  the  Mar- 
quesas the  natives  seem  to  prefer  the  pure  white  of  the  natural 
tapa,  but  elsewhere  it  is  often  dyed  with  real  skill  and  taste.  In 
Tahiti,  for  instance,  a  beautiful  bright  red  made  from  the  Mati 
berry  {Ficus  prolixa),  a  yellow  obtained  from  the  root  of  the 
nojio  {RIor-inda  citrifolia)  and  a  chocolate  or  brownish-black 
from  the  candle-nut  {Aleuritis),  are  most  effectively  used  for 
the  purpose. 

The  designs  are  sometimes  painted  on,  and  sometimes 
printed  from  blocks  which  Nature  herself  supplies  ;  leaves  of 
ferns,  flowers,  etc.,  are  dipped  into  the  colour,  laid  on  to  the 
tapa,  and  held  firmly  in  place  till  their  shape  is  transferred  to 
the  material.  The  dyes  are  often  varnished  with  a  resinous 
gum,  and  the  colours  are  brilliant  and  lasting,  while  the  cloth 
itself,  if  well  prepared,  will  stand  a  surprising  amount  of  usage. 
The  work  was  almost  entirely  in  the  hands  of  women,  who 
were  debarred  only  from  making  cloth  for  the  priests  and  other 
tapu  purposes,  when  it  had  to  be  intrusted  to  men.  It  was 
sometimes  made  in  '  cloth-houses,'  when  queens  were  ready  to 
help  and  supervise,  and  as  often  singly  and  alone,  and  the 
musical  tapping  of  the  hammer  is  still  characteristic  of  island 
villages. 

There  is  a  pretty  legend  about  the  origin  of  tapa,  which  of 
course  is  God-given.  The  divine  couple  were  about  to  create 
mankind,  and  agreed  to  share  the  labour  ;  //e  was  to  produce 
man,  and  she  to  make  woman.  He  moulded  a  man  out  of  his 
thought,  making  him  strong,  tall,  and  agile,  but  he  forgot 
beauty.  Nevertheless  he  exulted,  and  cried  out  to  his  wife, 
'  Thou  canst  never  equal  this  ?ny  work  ! ' 

She  looked  upon  it  and  saw  that  her  own  puppet  was  the 
more  beautiful,  for  she  had  made  it  out  of  her  own  flesh,  round 
and  warm  and  soft ;  but  she  said  nothing,  for  she  was  very 
wise,  till  she  had  taken  a  piece  of  cloth  and  twisted  it  round 
the  beauty  of  the  woman  and  set  her  beside  the  man.  *  Behold, 
she  is  so  unworthy  of  the  man  thy  work,'  she  said,  'that  she 
shall  go  veiled.  .  .  .' 


282     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

She  was  very  wise.  And  the  women,  being  of  her  flesh,  make 
tapa^  and  clothe  themselves  to  this  day. 

33.  Old  ma7i's  beard.  Human  hair  forms  a  favourite  orna- 
ment in  the  Marquesas  and  other  islands,  and  has  probably  a 
religious  signification.  'When  we  find  that  in  the  Marquesas 
cannibal  feasts  were  preceded  by  cutting  off  the  victim's  hair  to 
make  arm-rings,  head-dresses,  and  necklets  of  magical  potency, 
we  cannot  fail  to  see  cannibal  significance  in  the  frequent  use 
of  human  hair  to  adorn  spears  and  helmets,  or  of  human  bones 
and  skulls  as  drinking-vessels '  {History  of  Ma?tkitid,  Ratzel, 
i.  p.  298).  Mrs.  Stevenson  elsewhere  alludes  to  'dancing-orna- 
ments made  of  human  hair';  and  her  son  mentions  the  extremely 
high  sums  at  which  these  beards  are  valued  {In  the  South  Seas, 
p.  80).  There  are  specimens  of  head-dresses  from  the  Austral 
Isles,  with  long  human  hair,  very  light  in  colour,  dependent 
from  them,  as  well  as  armlets  and  leglets  of  human  hair  from 
the  Marquesas,  in  the  Edinburgh  Museum  of  Science  and 
Art. 

34.  Kanaka  or  Kanak.  This  word  which,  in  slightly  varying 
forms  in  the  different  dialects,  originally  meant  '  a  man  '  or  a 
male  as  distinct  from  the  female,  is  now  used  by  all  whites, 
and  by  the  natives  themselves,  to  designate  the  islanders. 
Hence  it  is  possible  to  speak  of  a  '■  Kariak  lady,'  which  once 
would  have  been  a  contradiction  in  terms. 

35.  Hiva-oa.  This  island  was  discovered  in  1595  by 
Mendano,  who  christened  it  '  Domenica,'  by  which  name  it  is 
still  known  to  the  Spanish-speaking  peoples.  Like  most  of  the 
South  Sea  islands,  however,  it  is  now  better  known  under  its 
native  name  ;  and  it  is  often  called,  locally,  the  Mati-eating 
island.  Certainly  the  latest  authenticated  stories  of  cannibalism 
date  from  thence,  and  Moipu  is  generally  the  hero  of  them. 
In  1888  he  was  still  in  middle  life,  and  his  deeds  were  recent 
and  unforgotten. 

36.  Poi-poi  is  not  always  the  same  thing,  though  called  by 
the  same  name  in  different  islands.  It  is  made,  according  to 
circumstances,  either  of  taro  or  bread-fruit,  whichever  is  the 
more  plentiful.  When  taro  is  used,  it  is  well  washed  to  remove 
the  bitter  and  unwholesome  part,  ground  into  flour,  which  is 
then  kneaded  into  a  dough  and  allowed  to  slightly  ferment.     It 


NOTES  -  283 

tastes  a  little  like  sour  porridge,  and  will  keep  good  a  con- 
siderable time.  In  the  Marquesas,  however,  it  is  generally 
made  of  the  bread-fruit,  which  also  is  half-fermented,  and  the 
dish  is  described  as  'looking  like  yellow  porridge.'  Bread-fruit 
for  this  purpose  is  generally  gathered  at  the  time  of  full  har- 
vest, freed  from  the  rind  and  core,  and  pounded  into  a  sort  of 
paste  or  dough,  which,  well  wrapped  in  many  coverings  of 
leaves,  is  stored  in  pits  dug  out  of  the  earth.  It  will  thus  keep 
not  only  from  season  to  season,  but  for  several  years  ;  and 
when  required  for  use  has  only  to  be  baked,  unwrapped,  and 
the  yellowish,  slightly  acid  cake  mixed  with  a  proper  proportion 
of  water.  Mr.  Stevenson  mentions  pits  forty  feet  deep  and 
proportionately  wide  that  were  used  for  storing  the  bread-fruit  in 
the  days  of  a  larger  population,  and  are  still  to  be  seen,  though 
long  deserted  and  unnecessary. 

27.  Biblical  Parallels.  It  has  attracted  the  notice  of  some 
who  have  lived  in  the  South  Seas  that  there  is  an  extraordinary 
resemblance  between  many  passages  in  the  Bible  and  the 
customs  of  Polynesian  life.  Pouring  water  over  the  hands  after 
eating  is  but  a  minor  instance  ;  but  to  the  leaping  ajid  da7icing 
before  the  Ark  {2.  Sam.  vi.  16)  we  find  an  exact  parallel  in  the 
contortions  and  posturings  of  even  the  most  dignified  'high-chief 
before  any  one  he  desires  to  honour.  When  David  says  that  he 
went  in  a?id sal  before  the  Lord{i  Chron.  xvii.  16),  we  remember 
that  in  Polynesia  it  is  disrespect  and  insult  to  stand  in  the 
presence  of  a  superior  ;  and  the  words  kissed  hii/i^  and  smelled 
the  smell  of  his  raiment  (Gen.  xxvii.  27)  exactly  describe  a  South 
Sea  greeting,  when,  after  touching  noses,  each  sniffs  audibly 
and  smells  the  other's  hand  and  garment.  In  Polynesia,  as  in 
Palestine,  the  dead  are  embalmed  ;  circumcision  is  practised  ; 
a  bride's  handmaidens  are  of  her  own  blood  and  accompany 
her  to  become  her  husband's  concubines  ;  a  widow  marries  her 
dead  husband's  brother  or  his  nearest  male  relative.  Oil  is 
used  to  anoint  the  sick,  and  '  oil  to  make  my  face  to  shine ' 
(Psalm  civ.  15)  is  a  daily  use  in  the  islands  of  the  Pacific.  In 
sign  of  mourning  the  Jews  rent  their  clothes,  cut  themselves, 
and  scattered  dust  and  ashes  over  their  heads  ;  the  Polynesians 
scored  their  limbs  and  faces  with  shark's  teeth  (and  these  for 
the  purpose  were  included  in  the  trousseau  of  every  bride),  and 


284     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

rubbed  the  foul-smelling  mud  from  the  /ar^-fields  over  their 
bodies  and  hair.  Those  who  attended  the  Jewish  dead  must 
fast  till  the  sun  go  down,  so  must  their  prototypes  in  the  South 
Seas  ;  in  Palestine  they  7nade  a  very  great  hurtling  for  the  dead, 
in  Polynesia  they  kindled  a  flaming  fire  as  an  invocation  to  the 
gods.  Sacrifices  were  offered  up  ;  first-fruits  were  consecrate  ; 
the  priesthood  autocratic  and  to  some  degree  hereditary. 
Both  in  Judtea  and  the  West  Pacific  the  word  brother  includes 
nephews  and  cousins.  .  .  . 

Nor  are  these  the  only  instances.  The  story  of  the  Fall  is 
found  in  many  of  the  least-visited  islands  ;  in  Fiji  it  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  serpent.  In  Fakaafo  it  is  believed  that  the  first 
man,  who  proceeded  from  a  rock,  made  his  wife  out  of  clay  and 
enclosed  one  of  his  own  ribs  in  her  body  ;  in  Tahiti  we  are  told 
that  Tairoa  (elsewhere  Tafigaroa)  created  man  from  red  earth, 
and  woman  from  ivi,  bone,  which  in  some  versions  is  given  as 
the  woman's  name.  (The  word  also  means  a  widow,  and  a 
victim  slain  in  battle.)  There  was  a  Samoan  Jonah  who  was 
swallowed  by  a  whale,  but  whose  great  ear-ornaments  of  wood 
so  tickled  the  animal's  stomach  that  he  was  finally  vomited 
forth  again,  alive  but  weak  ;  there  is  the  story  of  the  great  god 
Oro  (or  0  Rongd)  who  with  his  mother's  assistance  ousted  his 
elder  brother  Tairoa  and  possessed  himself  of  his  birthright. 
And  the  tradition  of  the  Deluge  is  everywhere  throughout  the 
South  Seas,  in  many  variations  that  are  fundamentally  the  same. 
In  the  Societies  it  is  said  that  Tairoa,  being  angry  with  men  for 
their  disobedience  to  his  will,  overturned  the  world,  so  that  the 
earth  sank  into  the  waters  and  left  only  those  tops  of  moun- 
tains emerging  that  make  the  islands  of  to-day  ;  in  Eimeo 
(Moorea)  it  is  believed  that  here  the  Polynesian  Noah  landed 
when  the  waters  went  down,  and  built  the  first  niarae  to  his  gods. 
In  the  Raiatea  story  it  is  a  fisherman  who  tangles  his  hook  in 
the  sleeping  sea-god's  hair  and  provokes  the  doom  of  the 
Deluge  ;  but  who  by  penitence  is  allowed  to  betake  himself  in 
his  boat,  '  with  wife  and  child  and  all  that  he  hath,'  to  a  certain 
island  which  should  be  preserved  in  the  midst  of  the  engulphing 
waters.  And  in  the  Windwards  there  is  a  quaint  chronicle  of 
a  husband  and  wife  who  took  refuge  on  Pitohito,  the  'mountain 
round  as  a  breast':    The  wife  took  tip  her  yoting  chicken,  the 


NOTES  285 

husband  his  young  pig ;  the  wife  took  tip  her  yoting  dog^  and  the 
kitten,  the  husband  took  that.  .  .  .   There  they  watched  nights 
ten,  the  sea  ebbed,  and  they  two  saw  the  little  heads  of  the  moun- 
tains.     When  the  sea  ebbed,  the  land  remained  wifhout  produce 
and  the  fish  were  putrid  in  the  hollows  of  the  7'ocks.     They  said, 
'  Dig  a  hole  for  the  fish  ifi  the  sea.'    The  wind  died  a7id  the  sto?ies 
and  t7-ecs  fell  from  the  heavens,  whither  they  had  been  carried  up; 
they  fell  hard;  the  man  said,  '^  Dig  a  hole  for  us  two,  a  dwelling- 
place.'  .  .  .  Thej'c  were  fio  houses, no  palm-trees,  ito  bread-fruit,  no 
grass,  all  had  been  eaten  by  the  sea.     The  womaji  brought  forth 
children;  still  there  was  710  food;  the  children  grew  up  without 
food.     The7i  the  trees  bor-e  fruit  and  the7-e  was  food;  in  three 
days  covered  was  the  land  with  food.  .  .  .  Atjd  from  these  two, 
father  a7id  7iwther,  filled  was  the  land  with  77ien.     (Condensed 
from  a  long  account  in  Ellis's  Poly7icsian  RcsearcJics,  \.  chap,  xv.) 
38.  Adoptio7i.     The  adoption  of  children  at  or  before  birth 
has  been  already  mentioned.     Adult  adoption  is  also  frequent, 
and  arises  from  several  causes.     It  is  sometimes  a  form  or  part 
of  marriage,  when  a  man  is  adopted  into  his  wife's  family  and 
obtains  recognised  rights  in  it ;  it  is  a  declaration  of  tribal  heir- 
ship, and  the  native  form,  as  it  were,  of  '  the  freedom  of  the 
city.'      For,  although  in  this  case  the  adoption  was  into  the 
chiefs  family,  and  Mrs.  Stevenson  mentions  that.  Had  they  so 
desired,  they  would  have  been  entitled  to  make  their  home  with 
him  ;  although  R.  L.  Stevenson  adds,  '  Had  we  stayed  at  Atuona, 
Paaaeua  would  have  held  himself  bound  to  establish  us  upon  his 
land,  and  to  set  apart  young  men  for  our  service,  and  trees  for 
our  support '  (/«  the  South  Seas,  p.  132),  it  is  probable  that  the 
adoption  was  rather  into  the  clan  or  community  as  personified  by 
the  chief,  than  into  the  chiefs  family  alone.   '  Property  belonging 
to  a  "clan"  is  held  in  common.     Each  clan  usually  possesses 
land,  and  over  this  no  one  member  has  an  exclusive  right,  but 
all  have  an  equal  right  to  use  it.     The  chief .  .  .  alone  can  pro- 
perly dispose  of  it  or  assign  its  use  for  a  time  to  an  outsider, 
and  even  he  is  expected  to  obtain  the  consent  of  the  heads  of 
families  before  he  alienates  the  property.     Thus  land  is  handed 
down  through  successive  generations  under  the  nominal  control 
of  the  recognised  head  of  the  clan  or  section  for  the  time  being  ' 
{Encyclopcedia  Brita7mica,  vol.  xix.  p.  424). 


286     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

Note  also,  in  this  connection,  the  reply  oi  Frere  Michel  when 
asked  if  he  'owned  the  property  of  his  adopted  mother.'  'Yes, 
so  long  as  I  do  not  steal  it'  (  Lcttns,  page  123). 

39.  No-nos.  This  is  the  native  name  of  a  species  of  sand-fly, 
very  troublesome  in  Nuka-hiva  (as  in  some  other  islands).  It 
is  sometimes  known  also  as  the  '  day-fly,'  from  the  fact  that  it 
disappears  at  night,  when  it  is  replaced  by  mosquitoes ;  but 
its  bites  are  more  poisonous  than  those  of  the  latter  insect, 
producing  large  lumps  which,  owing  to  the  heat  of  the  climate, 
are  apt  to  fester,  and  prove  difficult  to  cure.  The  natives  are 
said  to  paint  themselves  with  a  preparation  of  saffron,  as  a 
preventative  {Sunshine  and  Surf,  Hall  and  Osborne,  p.  98). 

40.  Legend  of  t/ic  no-nos.  Another  form  of  this  is  quoted  in 
Sunshi?ie  and  Surf  {HaW  and  Osborne),  p.  98  :  '  The  inhabitants 
have  an  old  legend  concerning  this,  which  relates  that  one  of 
their  cannibal  gods,  being  displeased  with  these  two  islands 
(Uapu  and  Nuka-hiva),  threw  a  coco-nut  shell  at  them  filled 
with  these  insects,  and  broke  half  on  one  island  and  half  on 
another.' 

41.  2%th  August.  A  day  notable  to  Mrs.  Stevenson  for  her 
own  marriage,  and  for  other  family  events  that  have  occurred 
upon  that  date. 

42.  Moipu.  This  chief  is  perhaps  the  best-known  and  most 
notorious  of  any  connected  with  the  latest  days  of  cannibalism 
— I  would  say,  in  preference,  '  of  surviving  cannibals '  but  that  I 
cannot  discover  whether,  since  the  Stevensons'  visit,  he  has 
not  been  carried  off  by  the  fast-increasing  mortality  of  the 
Marquesas.  At  any  rate,  in  1888  he  was  a  man  of  little  more 
than  middle  age,  hardy  and  active,  making,  as  I  understand, 
small  display  of  conversion,  and  less  of  respect  for  the 
authorities  ;  his  name  notorious,  and  his  evil  reputation  won 
in  days  only  a  very  few  years  gone  by.  His  village,  Atuona,  is 
the  scene  of  perhaps  the  best  authenticated,  stories  of  recent 
cannibalism.  Hiva-oa,  in  which  it  lies,  is  still  called  the  man- 
eating  island.  In  1888,  Moipu  was  still  surrounded  by  his 
young  men,  'late  his  braves  and  pot-hunters';  and  Mr. 
Stevenson  says  of  him,  'When  man-eating  was  referred  to,  he 
laughed  a  low  cruel  laugh,  part  boastful,  part  bashful,  like  one 
reminded    of    some    dashing    peccadillo.  .  .  .  His    favourite 


NOTES  287 

morsel  was  the  human  hand,  of  which  he  speaks  to-day  with  an 
ill-favoured  lustfulness'  {In  the  SoiitJi  Seas,  pp.  138,  139). 

43.  Coco-tiut  salad.  This  dainty  is  costly,  even  in  the  South 
Seas.  It  is  made  from  the  young  centre  shoots  of  the  coco-nut 
palm,  and  as  this  is  an  endogenous  tree  growing  from  the 
centre,  it  is  killed  by  the  removal  of  the  shoots.  In  New 
Zealand  and  elsewhere  the  same  is  true  of  the  cabbage-palm  ; 
the 'cabbage'  is  a  delicious  dish,  but  it  costs  the  life  of  the 
tree. 

44.  Stealing.  Dishonesty  is  nevertheless  not  considered  a 
natural  failing  of  the  islanders.  From  each  other  they  do  not 
steal  ;  the  house  of  a  fellow- Kanaka,  though  it  be  left  completely 
open  and  the  owner  away,  remains  untouched.  But  the  same 
laws  do  not  seem  to  apply  to  their  relations  with  the  whites — 
perhaps  because,  as  some  assert,  the  whites  have  not  always 
set  them  the  best  of  examples. 

45.  The  Paumotus.  Ellis,  in  his  Researches  {^\\\.  p.  303),  gives 
an  excellent  impression  of  these  islands  of  the  Low,  or 
Dangerous,  Archipelago  : — 

'  They  are  low,  narrow  islands  of  coralline  formation,  and 
though  among  them  some  few  are  hilly,  the  greater  number 
do  not  rise  more  than  three  feet  above  the  water.  .  .  .  Those 
already  known  seem  to  be  increasing  in  size,  while  others  are 
constantly  approaching  the  surface  of  the  sea  :  sometimes  they 
rise  like  a  perpendicular  wall  from  the  depths  of  the  ocean  to 
the  level  of  its  surface  ;  at  other  times  reefs  or  groves  of  varied 
and  most  beautiful  form  and  colour  extend  in  the  form  of 
successive  terraces  below  the  water  to  a  considerable  distance. 
Here  islands  may  be  seen  in  every  stage  of  their  progress  ; 
some  presenting  little  more  than  a  point  or  summit  of  a 
branching  coralline  pyramid  at  a  depth  scarcely  discernible 
through  the  transparent  waters  ;  others  spreading  like  sub- 
marine gardens  .  .  .  beneath  the  surface,  or  appearing  here 
and  there  in  a  little  bank  of  coral  and  sand  over  which  the 
rolling  wave  occasionally  breaks  ;  while  a  number  rise  like 
long  curved  banks  of  sand,  coral,  and  shells,  some  two  or 
three  feet  above  the  sea,  clothed  with  grass  and  adorned  with 
coco-nut  and  Pandanus  trees.  They  generally  form  a  curved 
line,  .  .  .  the  bank  of  soil  or  rock  being  seldom  more  than  half 


288     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

a  mile  or  a  mile  across,  yet  often  clothed  with  richest  verdure. 
Within  this  enclosure  is  a  space  sometimes  of  great  extent. 
In  the  island  of  Hao  ...  it  is  said  that  ships  may  sail  for 
many  miles  after  entering  the  lagoon,  the  narrow  strip  of  coral 
and  sand  enclosing  the  basin  being  sixty  or  seventy  miles  in 
length,  although  exceedingly  narrow.'  It  should  be  added 
that  even  these  measurements  can  be  exceeded  ;  for  the  atoll- 
island  oi  Fakarava,  which  Mrs.  Stevenson  visited,  consists  of  a 
strip  of  land  little  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide,  but 
eighty  or  ninety  miles  long,  which  encloses  a  lagoon  of  thirty 
miles  by  about  twelve. 

These  islands  have  also  been  called  the  '  Pearl  Islands' on 
account  of  the  pearls  obtained  amongst  them,  pearl-diving 
being  also  their  only  recognised  industry.  The  actual  trade, 
however,  is  in  the  shell,  which  commands  a  steady  market, 
while  the  pearl  itself  is  the  windfall  of  the  diver  save,  here  and 
there,  under  special  conditions.  The  great  pearl  for  which 
Queen  Victoria  paid  six  thousand  pounds  came  from  this 
group  ;  as  did  also  another  notable  one  possessed  by  the 
Empress  Eugenie.  On  the  whole,  the  trade  seems,  carefully 
and  wisely  regulated  by  the  French  authorities,  the  divers 
being  reasonably  well  paid,  and  the  '  fishery' reserved  to  the 
native  inhabitants;  the  'pearl-beds,'  and  the  islands  where 
they  occur,  are  kept  under  control,  and  are  'opened'  in  turn, 
an  interval  of  rest  or  close  season  being  rigorously  enforced. 
It  is  said  that  the  export  of  shell  from  Tahiti  (whither  it  is 
taken)  is  largely  increasing,  and  while  the  find  of  pearls  is 
irregular,  the  yearly  value  has  also  increased. 

46.  Artificial  soil  in  iJie  Paufnoliis.  The  soil  found  in  islands 
of  coral  formation  is  of  very  varying  quality  and  character. 
Sometimes  there  is  a  considerable  depth  of  fertile  earth  ;  but 
in  those  islands  that  are  very  slightly  raised  above  the  level  of 
the  sea  the  soil  is  shallow  and  almost  non-existent,  and  the 
coral  sand  or  detritus  that  replaces  it  so  strongly  impregnated 
with  salt-water,  that  little  of  any  service  will  flourish  beyond 
the  coco-palm  and  the  Pandanus,  and  a  large  inferior  variety 
of  taro.  Yet  by  means  of  earth  brought  from  Tahiti,  and  built 
up  into  banks  or  terraces,  it  is  possible  to  overcome  this 
difficulty.      Mrs.  Stevenson  mentions  fig-trees  and  bananas ; 


NOTES  289 

and  elsewhere  it  is  recorded  that  by  the  same  artificial  system, 
aided  by  irrigation,  there  are  to  be  found  in  one  or  other  of  the 
Paumotus  Islands  plantations  of  sugar-cane,  sweet  potatoes 
and  yams,  besides  the  finer  sorts  of  taro^  the  plantain,  and 
some  garden  flowers  and  shrubs  (Ratzel,  History  of  Man- 
kind, i.  p.  254). 

47.  Euranna.  Later,  in  the  light  of  longer  acquaintance, 
Mrs.  Stevenson  successively  modifies  this  to  yiiranna  and 
iao-ranua.  The  latter  is  probably  the  most  correct.  It  is  a 
word  that  has  proved  an  evident  difficulty  to  other  persons 
also,  to  judge  by  the  varying  forms  in  which  we  meet  with  it ; 
including,  for  instance,  Yarra  na  and  Yar  honor. 

48.  See  page  303,  note  69. 

49.  Bcnitier,  or  Holy-water  shell.  The  clam  or  Tridacna, 
called  by  the  nax\ve.s  paua,  and  given  the  above  name  from  its 
frequent  employment  in  Roman  Catholic  churches.  It  is  found 
in  great  quantities  among  the  Pacific  islands  ;  and  in  the 
Paumotus  the  paua  toka,  or  stone  clam  ( Tridaoia  gigas),  grows 
to  enormous  size.  'The  shell  is  formed  of  two  great  valves 
connected  by  hinged  teeth,  and  muscles  of  extraordinary 
power ;  .  .  .  the  strength  of  many  men  could  not  detach  one 
of  the  larger  ones  from  its  bed,  for  as  years  go  by  the  clam 
settles  into  the  coral,  and  the  shell  becomes  part  of  the  rock 
itself.'  Walking  over  a  bed  of  even  the  smaller  paua  is 
dangerous,  and  divers  when  caught  by  Tridacna  gigas  are 
fortunate  if  they  escape  with  only  the  loss  of  a  limb. 

50.  Coolin.  A  Skye  terrier  once  greatly  beloved  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Stevenson.  His  epitaph,  composed  in  Latin  by  Thomas 
Stevenson,  was  formerly  at  Swanston  Cottage,  and  is  now  at 
Skerryvore,  Bournemouth. 

51.  Taniera  Mahinui.  This  gentleman  is  more  fully 
described  by  R.  L.  Stevenson  as  *  Catechist  and  convict.  .  .  . 
I  affirm  he  was  well  qualified  for  either  part.  For  that  of  con- 
vict, first  of  all,  by  a  good  substantial  felony,  such  as  in  all 
lands  casts  the  perpetrator  into  chains  and  dungeons,  .  .  .  He 
was  condemed  in  five  years.  The  period,  when  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  his  friendship,  was  not  yet  expired  ;  he  still  drew 
prison  rations,  the  sole  and  not  unwelcome  reminder  of  his 
chains,  and,  1  believe,  looked  forward  to  the  date  of  his  enfran- 


290     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

chisement  with  mere  alarm.  .  .  .  And  as  for  his  parishioners, 
they  did  not  think  one  hair  the  less  of  him. 

'  On  the  other  hand,  he  was  even  highly  qualified  for  his  office 
in  the  Church  ;  being  by  nature  a  grave,  considerate,  and  kindly 
man ;  his  face  rugged  and  serious,  his  smile  bright ;  .  .  . 
endowed  with  a  fine  pulpit  voice  ;  endowed  besides  with  such 
a  gift  of  eloquence  that  at  the  grave  of  the  late  chief  of  Fakarava 
he  set  all  the  assistants  weeping.  I  never  met  a  man  of  a  mind 
more  ecclesiastical.  .  .  .'  {In  the  South  Seas,  pp.  i6i,  162). 

52  and  53.  Mormon  or  Baptist.  It  is  stated  by  R.  L.  Steven- 
son that  the  Paumotus  are  divided  between  two  churches,  the 
Roman  Catholic  and  the  Mormon,  and  he  makes  no  mention  of 
Baptists.  But  he  does  refer  to  the  curious  type  of  Mormon  to 
be  found  in  the  islands  :  '  He  marries  but  one  wife,  uses  the 
Protestant  Bible,  observes  Protestant  forms  of  worship,  forbids 
the  use  of  liquor  and  tobacco,  practises  adult  baptism  by 
immersion,  and  after  every  public  sin  rechristens  the  back- 
slider. I  advised  with  Mahinui,  whom  I  found  well  informed  in 
the  history  of  the  American  Mormons,  and  he  declared  against 
the  least  connection.  .  .  .  And  for  all  that.  Mormons  they  are, 
but  of  the  earlier  sowing  ;  the  so-called  Josephites,  the 
followers  of  Joseph  Smith,  the  opponent  of  Brigham  Young' 
{In  the  South  Seas,  p.  174).  It  was  probably  the  practices 
of  these  Mormons  that  led  Mrs.  Stevenson  to  call  them 
Baptists. 

Religion  in  Polynesia,  however,  has  constant  surprises,  and 
is  very  ready  to  fly  off  at  a  tangent,  in  a  way  that  is  exceedingly 
mysterious  and  hard  to  understand.  Perhaps  its  most  curious 
phenomena  are  the  independent  offshoots  of  Christianity : 
'Thus  in  Upolu,  Siovedi,  a  native  of  Savaii,  founded  the 
"  Gimblet  religion"  Professing  to  converse  with  God  and  to 
work  miracles,  he  enjoined  the  mutual  confession  of  sins  in  cases 
of  sickness,  and  his  divine  service  was  rendered  specially  im- 
pressive by  the  discharge  of  firearms.  Another  native,  in 
Samoa,  taught  the  invocation  of  the  God  of  heaven,  and 
brought  with  him,  on  his  return  from  the  whale-fishing,  an  old 
woman  who  used  to  "  touch  "  for  diseases  from  behind  a  curtain, 
alleging  that  Christ  resided  within  her'  (Ratzel,  History  of 
Mankind,  i.  190,  191). 


NOTES  291 

R.  L.  Stevenson  himself  mentions,  as  connected  with  the 
Paumotus  Mormons,  the  Israelites  and  the  Kanitus,  though  he 
could  neither  fathom  their  differences  nor  account  for  their 
names,  the  latter  of  the  two  being  of  no  known  language  ;  and 
he  refers  also  to  a  sect  still  more  difficult  to  fathom,  which  is 
known  as  the  Whistlers.  It  appears  that  their  meetings  are 
public  and  all  may  attend  who  will;  the  'faithful' sit  round, 
singing  hymns,  while  in  the  centre  sits  the  priest — leader — 
medium?  enveloped  in  a  sheet.  '  And  presently  from  just  above 
his  head,  or  sometimes  from  the  midst  of  the  roof,  an  aerial 
whistling  proceeds,  appalling  to  the  inexperienced.  This,  it 
appears,  is  the  language  of  the  dead  ;  its  purport  is  taken  down 
progressively  by  one  of  the  expert,  .  .  .  and  the  communica- 
tions are  at  last  made  to  the  public.  They  are  of  the  baldest 
triviality.  .  .  .'  {South  Seas,  p.  178). 

54.  Coco-nut  Palm.  This  remarkable  Xxt&  {Coccos  nuciferd), 
plays  so  great  a  part  in  tropical  life  that  it  deserves  a  detailed 
description.  We  all  know  it  by  name  and  appearance  ;  we  all 
know  the  nuts  as  they  are  sold  to  us  here,  in  a  condition  that 
the  Polynesian  would  consider  only  fit  for  pigs.  But  it  is  safe 
to  say  that  very  few  persons  have  any  conception  of  what  place 
the  coco-palm  holds  in  the  life  of  the  South  Pacific. 

'Year  after  year  the  islander  reposes  beneath  its  shade,  both 
eating  and  drinking  of  its  fruit ;  he  thatches  his  hut  with  its 
leaves  and  weaves  them  into  baskets  to  carry  his  food  ;  he 
cools  himself  with  a  fan  plaited  from  the  young  leaflets  and 
shields  his  head  from  the  sun  by  a  bonnet  made  from  the  same  ; 
sometimes  he  clothes  himself  with  the  cloth-like  substance  which 
wraps  round  the  base  of  the  long  stalks,  whose  elastic  rods, 
strung  with  candle-nuts,  are  used  as  a  taper  ;  the  larger  nuts, 
thinned  and  polished,  furnish  him  with  a  beautiful  goblet  ;  the 
smaller  ones  with  bowls  for  his  pipes  ;  the  dry  husks  kindle  his 
fires  ;  their  fibres  are  twisted  into  fishing-lines  and  cords  for 
his  canoes  ;  he  heals  his  wounds  with  a  balsam  compounded 
from  the  juice  of  the  nut  ;  and  with  the  oil  extracted  from  its 
meat  embalms  the  dead  and  embellishes  the  living.  The 
trunk,  sawn  into  posts,  supports  his  dwelling ;  converted  into 
charcoal  it  cooks  his  food;  and  supported  on  blocks  of  stone  it 
rails  in  his  lands.     He  impels  his  canoe  through  the  water  with 


292     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

a  paddle  of  the  wood,  and  from  the  same  hard  material  he 
fashions  his  clubs  and  spears.' 

This  is,  however,  a  most  incomplete  summary.  The  tree  had 
its  part  in  the  highest  concerns  of  native  life  ;  a  coco-nut  leaf 
(which  consists,  it  must  be  remembered,  of  a  six- or  eight-foot 
rod,  bearing  along  some  four-fifths  of  its  length  two  opposite 
rows  of  sword-shaped  leaflets,  each  about  eighteen  inches  long) 
was  the  symbol  of  chiefly  authority,  and  was  sent  by  a  chief  to 
his  dependants  when  he  demanded  their  obedience.  Tied  to 
the  sacrifice,  it  was  the  channel  by  which  the  god  was  believed 
to  enter  and  make  the  offering  sacred  ;  laid  on  the  body  of  one 
afflicted  with  disease,  it  was  the  door  through  which  the  evil 
spirits  who  tormented  him  were  driven  out.  Bunches  or 
strings  of  the  leaflets  were  hung  up  in  the  temples,  and  are 
said  to  have  been  used  in  something  the  same  way  as  the 
rosary  beads  of  Roman  Catholics  ;  and  to  this  day  presents  of 
food,  or  gifts,  are  tied  up  with  coco-leaflets,  perhaps  without 
conscious  significance,  but  certainly  as  a  survival  of  old  custom. 
Even  their  idols  came  sometimes  from  the  same  source.  Oro, 
their  great  god,  was  embodied  in  a  six-foot  log  of  coco-palm, 
in  his  temple  at  Tautira  on  the  peninsula  of  Tahiti  ;  a  living 
tree  of  the  same  species  has  more  than  once  been  revered  as 
the  representative  of  a  deity,  and  a  piece  of  sinnet  was  the 
embodiment  of  the  terrible  Ta7ie-Kio,  the  chirper. 

In  medicine  the  coco-nut  was  esteemed,  though  some  of  its 
uses  are  peculiar  :  for  a  headache,  for  instance,  the  patient  was 
made  to  drink  the  juice  of  a  nut  and  then  stand  on  his  head  for  a 
stated  time  !  Coco-nut  oil  was  employed  as  an  emetic,  and  in 
cases  of  bleeding,  whether  venous  or  arterial,  the  spongy  kernel 
of  an  old  and  sprouting  nut  was  tied  firmly  upon  the  wound.  The 
juice,  in  particular  stages  of  fermentation,  was  given  for  several 
ailments,  notably  for  dysentery  ;  and  one  preparation,  in  which 
the  milk  of  a  ripe  nut  was  an  important  ingredient,  was  so 
prompt  in  its  results  that  the  'doctor'  usually  called  the  family 
of  the  patient  together,  to  be  ready  (in  either  event)  for  the 
almost  instantaneous  '  kill  or  cure.'  The  native  practice  of 
surgery  was,  however,  surprisingly  good,  and  on  a  different 
level  to  much  of  their  so-called  medicine  ;  and  here  again  the 
coco-nut  had  its  uses.     It  was,  for  instance,  not  uncommon  to 


\ 


NOTES  293 

trepan,  when  the  skull  had  been  fractured  in  battle  ;  and  when 
the  broken  bone  was  removed,  it  was  replaced  by  a  piece  of 
coco-nut  shell,  covered  again  with  the  skin,  etc.,  and  left  to  heal. 
Many  of  these  cases  are  said  to  have  made  good  recoveries,  and 
in  the  earlier  part  of  last  century  there  were  men  living  on  whom 
the  operation  had  been  successfully  performed.  Another  form 
of  it,  however,  was  tried  by  these  enterprising  surgeons  with 
other  results  ;  when  the  brain  itself  had  suffered,  they  opened 
the  skull  and  removed  the  injured  portion,  replacing  it  by  the 
brain  of  a  newly  killed  pig,  and  covering  it  in  as  before  with  a 
piece  of  coco-nut  shell.  In  these  cases  it  appears  that  frenzy 
and  death  very  shortly  supervened. 

Again,  the  body  was  rubbed  down  daily,  and  always  after 
immersion  in  salt  water,  with  chewed  coco-nut  or  with  coco- 
nut oil ;  and  a  fine  and  aromatic  preparation  of  the  latter  was 
obtained  by  preserving  it  in  the  gourd-like  fruit  of  the  nono 
{Morinda  citrifolia).  The  oil  as  it  used  to  be  expressed  by  the 
natives,  or  '  copra,'  the  dried  nut,  from  which  it  is  now  generally 
prepared  in  the  home  manufactories,  is,  of  course,  the  great 
trading  interest  of  the  South  Seas. 

As  an  article  of  food,  it  is  difficult  even  to  enumerate  the 
forms  in  which  it  is  employed.  It  may  be  noted  here  that 
each  stage  of  the  nut  has  its  uses  and  its  own  especial  name  ; 
when  it  is  full  grown  but  soft-shelled  and  light  in  colour,  holding 
over  a  pint  of  juice,  but  with  no  pulp,  it  is  called  oua,  and  is 
principally  used  for  drinking.  A  few  weeks  later  and  a  soft  white 
pulp  is  developed  round  the  inside  of  the  shell ;  it  has  been 
likened  (in  appearance)  to  the  white  of  a  lightly  boiled  t.g^^  and 
in  this  stage,  7iiaa,  is  preferred  for  cooking.  Four  or  six  weeks 
later  still,  and  the  shell  begins  to  darken  ;  the  pulp  is  firmer 
and  thicker,  and  the  juice  whitish  and  slightly  acid.  This  is 
called  ojnoto,  and  from  nuts  in  this  stage  cups  and  other  vessels 
are  usually  made ;  the  shell  is  yellow  and  hard  enough  to 
permit  of  being  scraped  thin,  or  carved,  but  soft  enough  still 
for  this  to  be  done  with  ease. 

The  juice,  in  the  first  stage,  is  practically  the  only  drink  of 
the  tropics,  and  as  such,  it  has  an  importance  not  yet  perhaps 
fully  realised.  On  many  of  the  coral  atolls  there  is  no  fresh- 
water supply  save  what  is  provided  by  the  rainfall ;  and  while 


294     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

this  caused  little  trouble  in  the  olden  days,  now  that  the  nuts 
are  reserved  for  copra  the  matter  is  more  serious.  Stagnant 
rain-water  used  alike — and  from  the  same  pool — for  bathing, 
washing,  and  drinking,  by  sick  and  sound,  cannot  conduce  to 
the  health  of  the  inhabitants  in  the  long-run. 

In  the  next  stage  the  pulp  is  used  in  many  dishes,  as  in  kitku  ; 
in  some  forms  oi  poi,  where  it  is  mixed  with  taro  and  sweet 
potato ;  and  baked,  along  with  the  juice,  in  its  shell,  when  it 
makes  a  rich  and  luscious  pudding.  The  germinated  nut, 
filled  with  a  sweet,  spongy  white  growth,  is  likened  when  cooked 
to  'the  most  delicate  blancmange';  the  'meat'  of  a  ripe  nut, 
chopped  up  and  floating  in  salt  water,  is  the  ordinary  'sauce 
piquante'  of  the  South  Seas  ;  and  the  same,  grated,  and  moist- 
ened with  its  own  juice  and  salt  water,  and  kept  perfectly  air- 
tight in  bamboos  till  past  the  saccharine  stage  of  fermentation, 
is  a  more  elaborate  relish,  with  an  appearance  like  clotted 
cream  or  curd.  The  milk  of  the  ripe  nut  is  also  good  in  coffee, 
and  is  sometimes  used  for  Communion,  in  place  of  wine,  which 
had  its  disadvantages,  the  whole  supply  being,  it  is  said, 
occasionally  drunk  up  by  the  first  few  communicants.  '  Toddy  ' 
or  ''Palm-iuinc^  is  the  sap  or  juice  that  exudes  from  the  severed 
green  shoots,  and  when  drunk  at  once  is  wholesome  and 
delicious,  but  with  the  passing  of  a  few  hours  becomes  '  sour 
toddy,'  a  maddening  and  deadly  intoxicant.  And  from  'the 
embryo  shoot  of  the  tree,  the  unborn  fronds  that  lie  curled  up  in 
a  white  mass  about  the  size  of  a  man's  arm,  resembling  a 
gigantic  stick  of  celery,  with  a  flavour  of  filberts,'  the  well-known 
'coco-palm  salad'  is  made,  every  dish  of  which  costs  the  life  of 
the  tree  from  which  it  is  prepared.  It  is  a  luxury  confined  to 
chiefs  and  rich  men,  who  can  afford  to  destroy  so  valuable  a 
possession ;  who  can  afford  also  to  decorate  their  heads  with 
plumes,  and  their  ceremonial  garments  with  fringes,  of  the  reva- 
rcva,  an  exquisitely  white  and  tender  fibre  extracted  from  the 
inner  pith  of  the  same  young  shoots,  and  with  the  same  de- 
struction. For  once  the  coco-palm  is  deprived  of  its  heart  or 
centre  of  growth,  it  dies  immediately  ;  and  if  allowed  to  stand 
thus,  'the  trunk,  which  when  alive  is  encased  in  so  hard  a  bark 
as  to  be  almost  impervious  to  a  bullet,  moulders  away  and 
becomes  dust.     This  is  owing  to  the  constitution  of  the  trunk. 


NOTES  295 

a  mere  cylinder  of  minute  hollow  reeds  closely  packed  and  very 
hard ;  but  when  exposed  at  the  top,  peculiarly  fitted  to  convey 
moisture  and  decay  through  the  entire  system.' 

And  finally,  in  proportion  to  its  value,  the  coco-palm  makes 
but  the  smallest  demand  for  care  or  cultivation  ;  it  is  hardy, 
long-lived,  bears  without  intermission,  and  is  enormously 
prolific,  and  only  requires  light  and  air  about  its  stem  and  the 
clearance  of  undergrowth,  to  permit  it  to  come  to  maturity.  It 
will  grow  in  any  soil,  however  poor,  though  it  prefers  to  be  near 
salt  water ;  it  is  found  in  greatest  perfection  on  the  edge  of 
sheltered  lagoons,  and  on  the  low  coral  atolls  where  no  other 
tree,  save  the  Pandanus,  can  exist.  What  part  it  plays  in  the 
food  of  such  an  island  can  be  imagined.  '  The  rest  of  the  food- 
supply  can  be  summed  up  in  the  favourite  jest  of  the  archipelago 
— Coco-nut  beefsteak.  Coco-nut  green,  coco-nut  ripe,  coco- 
nut germinated  ;  coco-nut  to  eat,  and  coco-nut  to  drink  ; 
coco-nut  raw  and  coco-nut  cooked,  coco-nut  hot  and  cold — 
such  is  the  bill  of  fare '  (R.  L.  Stevenson,  In  the  South  Seas, 
p.  155).  It  is  to  be  suspected  that  the  householders  of  these 
islands  must  have  some  tropical  equivalent  for  'cold  mutton 
again  ! ' 

55.  Tahiti.  The  island  is  said  to  have  been  discovered  by 
Quiros  in  the  sixteenth  century.  The  first  authentic  information, 
however,  dates  from  the  arrival  of  Wallis  in  the  Dolphin,  in 
June  1767,  when  he  christened  it  King  George  III.^s  Island,  and 
called  the  cluster  of  which  Tahiti  is  the  principal  the  Georgian 
group.  It  was  thrice  visited  by  Cook,  notably  in  the  year  1769, 
to  observe  the  transit  of  Venus  ;  and  in  1797  a  band  of  English 
missionaries  settled  there  under  the  protection  of  the  king.  It 
was  many  years,  however,  before  the  islanders  accepted  either 
Christianity  or  civilisation  in  the  sense  of  any  settled  govern- 
ment ;  there  were  long  and  disastrous  wars,  during  which  king 
and  missionaries  were  alike  driven  out  and  exiled  upon  Eimeo, 
and  it  was  not  till  181 5  that  Pomare  11.  finally  reinstated  him- 
self in  authority.  During  the  next  years  great  endeavours 
were  made,  not  only  to  Christianise  the  natives,  but  also  to 
educate  and  enlighten  them.  Schools  were  everywhere 
established  ;  tapu  weakened,  if  not  abolished  ;  the  immoral 
habits  and  customs  of  the  natives  held  in  check  by  a  system  of 


296     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

punishment ;  law  and  order,  primitive  perhaps,  but  suitable  to 
the  conditions,  were  enforced  and  maintained.  The  first 
printing-press  was  set  up  in  i8ig,  and  Pomare  struck  off  the  first 
sheets  himself;  and  it  must  always  be  remembered  that  Tahiti 
owes  to  the  missionaries  her  written  language.  .  .  .  The 
island  was  quiet  and  prosperous  for  a  considerable  time,  till  in 
1836  fresh  trouble  began  ;  two  Roman  Catholic  priests  landed 
at  Tautira,  without  leave  asked  for  and  obtained  from  the 
authorities.  The  story  of  their  treatment  at  the  hands  of  the 
queen  and  her  ministers,  as  the  one  side  tells  it,  or  of  their 
behaviour  to  the  queen  and  her  regulations  according  to  the 
other,  is,  for  obvious  reasons,  difficult  to  relate.  The  result,  how- 
ever, was  disastrous  to  Tahiti  :  the  priests  were  for  the  moment 
turned  out,  but  ingoing  they  opened  a  door  by  which  France 
was  ready  and  waiting  to  step  in.  England,  which  was  only 
recovering  from  a  long  period  of  war,  was  not  willing  to  quarrel 
with  France  over  a  distant  island  in  the  Pacific,  in  which, 
moreover,  she  had  never  formally  and  officially  interested 
herself;  Queen  Pomare  was  helpless,  and  was  forced  first  to 
apologise,  then  to  pay  repeated  indemnities,  and  finally  to  cede 
all  her  external  and  most  of  her  internal  authority.  In  1842 
Tahiti  passed  under  the  protectorate  of  France,  and  ceased  to 
possess  a  separate  existence.  More  recently,  in  1885,  the  last 
shred  of  Tahitian  independence  disappeared,  when  Pomare  fifth 
and  last  retired  from  even  nominal  sovereignty  on  an  annual 
'allowance'  paid  to  him  by  the  French  Government. 

But  Tahiti  has  a  mythological  history  also,  and  there  are 
many  legends  concerning  its  origin.  In  one  of  them  the  island 
was  originally  a  shark  from  Raiatea — a  blue  shark,  such  as  they 
have  since  worshipped,  and  who,  as  Aiiui-mao,  the  shark-god, 
had  temples,  sacrifices,  and  a  priesthood  in  his  honour ;  the  head 
and  tail,  the  dorsal  and  ventral  fins,  even  the  gills,  can  still  be 
named  and  pointed  out.  In  another  story,  the  islands  of  the 
group  were  all  united  in  a  continent  that  the  gods  in  their  anger 
broke  up  into  pieces,  Tahiti  the  largest  ;  and  in  still  another, 
Tairoa  laboured  so  hard  over  creation  that  the  sweat  ran  down 
from  his  brow,  filling  up  all  the  hollow  places,  and  made  the  sea. 
Wherefore  it  is  salt.  Tairoa,  also,  'made  himself  into  the 
likeness  of  his  thoughts,'  and  abode  with  Hina,  his  wife,  upon 


NOTES  297 

the  mountains  ;  and  their  children  were  men,  and  peopled 
Tahiti.  And  these  are  but  one  or  two,  quoted  almost  at 
random  from  the  many  legends  of  Tahitian  mythology.  (See 
Ellis's  Researches,  vol.  i. ;  Gill's  Myths  and  Songs  of  the  South 
Pacific ;  and  his  Historical  Sketches  of  Savage  Life  in 
Poly}iesia,  etc.  etc.) 

56.  Influenza.  This  seems  to  appear  more  or  less  regularly 
in  the  South  Seas,  and  is  of  a  virulent  type.  It  has  led,  indeed, 
in  not  a  few  cases,  to  the  murder  of  traders  and  missionaries, 
the  natives  in  the  wilder  and  more  savage  islands  retaliating  in 
this  way  upon  the  nearest  white  man,  for  the  disease  which 
they  suppose  he  has  brought  amongst  them.  There  seems, 
indeed,  to  be  some  little  excuse  for  the  belief,  according  to 
Miss  Gordon-Cumming  :  '  It  is  a  most  extraordinary  fact  that 
on  every  one  of  the  Polynesian  groups  the  natives  declare  that 
influenza  was  never  known  till  white  men  came  ;  and  now  it  is 
one  of  the  regular  scourges  of  the  Pacific,  returning  almost 
every  year,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  but  occasionally  proving 
very  severe  and  fatal.  It  is  generally  preceded  by  westerly  or 
southerly  winds,  and  passes  off  as  the  steady  trade-winds  set 
in,  bringing  fine  settled  weather'  {A  Lady's  Cruise  in  a  French 
Man-of  War.,  ii.  72). 

57.  Land-crabs  {Birgtis  latrd).  These  remarkable  creatures, 
also  known  as  the  Robber,  or  Coco-nut  crabs,  are  nocturnal 
in  habit,  as  fierce  (if  interfered  with)  as  they  are  shy,  and 
exceedingly  voracious.  When  hungry,  if  they  find  no  food 
nearer  at  hand,  they  climb  the  coco-nut  palms  and  break  off 
the  stalks  of  the  young  nuts,  so  that  they  fall  to  the  ground  ; 
and  in  times  of  scarcity  they  will  even  strip  the  husks  from  the 
old  nuts,  and,  working  from  one  of  the  eyes,  gradually  '  nip ' 
out  a  hole  large  enough  to  permit  them  to  extract  the  edible 
interior. 

They  are  exceedingly  numerous  in  most  of  the  South  Pacific 
islands,  and  are  highly  valued  by  the  natives,  and  even  by  the 
whites,  as  an  article  of  food.  They  are  said  to  be  excellent 
when  baked  entire  in  their  shell ;  and  the  pendulous  tail  of 
blue  fat  is  looked  upon  as  a  tit-bit.  This  fat  also,  when  gently 
heated,  melts  into  a  valuable  oil,  as  much  as  two  pints  being 
obtained  from  a  large  specimen  ;  it  is  said  to  be  an  unfailing 


298     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

specific  for  rheumatism,  and  the  best  lubricating  medium  for 
guns  or  instruments  in  the  South  Seas.  When  thickened  in  the 
sun,  it  is  also  described  as  making  an  agreeable  and  wholesome 
substitute  for  butter. 

58.  Omua.  Herman  Melville's  books,  Omua  and  Typee, 
present  a  far  more  reliable  picture  of  island  life  than  they  are 
generally  credited  with  ;  and  his  peculiarities  of  spelling  and 
romantic  episodes  are  too  often  allowed  to  overshadow  his  many 
valuable  facts. 

59.  Ewtco  or  Moorea.  This  island,  to  which  the  latter  name 
is  usually  given  by  the  natives,  lies  twelve  or  fourteen  miles 
to  the  west  of  Tahiti,  whence  it  is  visible ;  it  was  named  by 
Wallis,  in  1767,  Duke  of  York's  Island,  and  included  by  him 
in  the  Georgian  group,  of  which  Tahiti  is  the  principal.  It  is 
very  mountainous,  with  sharp  and  serrated  outlines  and  pre- 
cipitous ascents,  and  a  magnificent  belt  of  lower  foliage  ;  indeed, 
its  beauty  is  so  great  that  it  has  been  said  'to  surpass  every 
other  in  the  Georgian  and  Society  groups.'  To  this  island, 
during  the  wars  of  a  hundred  years  ago,  just  before  the  estab- 
lishment of  Christianity,  the  missionaries  were  forced  to  retire  : 
here  that  remarkable  man,  Pomare  ll.,  lived  in  exile  from  1809 
to  1815  ;  and  here,  before  he  returned  to  kingship  in  Tahiti, 
he  finally  became  a  Christian.  When  he  left  Eimeo,  his  first 
exercise  of  authority  was  the  destruction  of  the  temple  and  idol 
of  Oro,  the  national  god,  at  Tautira. 

60.  Point  Venus.  The  name  given  to  the  point  of  land  whence 
Cook  observed  the  Transit  of  Venus  in  1769. 

61.  Change  0/  Religion.  I  have  repeatedly  found  it  stated 
that  the  natives  rarely  change  from  the  form  of  religion  with 
which  they  first  become  acquainted.  Their  loyalty  in  this 
respect  is  sometimes  rather  surprising  ;  as  for  instance,  in 
Tahiti,  where  the  Government  has  hitherto  strongly  supported 
the  Catholics,  and  has  ordered  the  chief  to  build  a  Roman 
Catholic  church  in  every  district.  Yet  the  natives  have  per- 
sistently remained  Protestant ;  with  the  result  that  in  a  number 
of  villages  there  is  found  a  large  and  nearly  empty  Roman 
Catholic  church,  beside  an  overcrowded  French,  or  native, 
Protestant  mission. 

It  is,  in  fact,  well  known  that  a  native  will  only  attend  an  alien 


NOTES  299 

church  under  great  pressure,  and  when  he  does  so  will  make 
it  clear  that  he  goes  only  as  an  outsider.  The  old  Kanak  who 
told  the  priest,  '  Leg  he  go,  belly  he  no  go,'  was  only  explain- 
ing to  the  best  of  his  abilities  that  his  heart  and  his  convic- 
tions were  elsewhere. 

62  and  71.  Green  and  red  Barianas.  The  cultivated  varieties 
of  Musa,  of  which  there  are  said  to  be  over  thirty  in  Tahiti,  are 
usually  cut  while  still  green,  and  either  hung  up  to  ripen,  or 
wrapped  in  leaves  and  buried  for  some  thirty-six  hours  in  the 
earth,  which  hastens  the  ripening  process  though  at  some  loss 
of  flavour. 

The  red  banana,  Musa  ura7iospat/ia,  is  a  wild  variety.  Ellis 
says  there  are  some  twenty  large  and  serviceable  kinds  that  grow 
wild  in  the  mountains  {Researches,  i.  60),  but  he  does  not  give 
any  distinctive  names  ;  the  native  word  fei  is  applied  to  them 
all  in  general.  They  differ  greatly  from  the  cultivated  sorts, 
having  a  red  skin  and  yellow  pulp,  and  very  marked  ridges, 
making  them  almost  triangular  or  quadrangular  in  outline  ; 
their  habit  of  growth  is  also  singular,  as  they  carry  their  fruit 
erect  in  the  centre  of  the  tuft  or  crown  of  leaves  at  the  top  of 
the  plant.  There  is  a  legend  to  the  effect  that  there  was  once 
a  Battle  of  the  Bananas,  which  the  Mountain  Plantain  won  ; 
wherefore  it  has  ever  since  held  its  fruit  upright  in  token  of 
victory,  while  the  other  varieties  droop  theirs  in  remembrance  of 
defeat. 

The  Mountain  Banana  is  a  very  important  article  of  native 
diet,  and  in  some  places  is  described  as  their  principal  support  ; 
though  it  is  not  obtained  without  some  difficulty,  as  it  grows 
in  the  less  accessible  parts  of  the  mountains,  and  has  to  be 
carried  down  by  break-neck  paths,  slung  at  either  end  of 
poles  balanced  across  the  shoulders  of  the  bearer.  Neverthe- 
less, it  is  brought  down,  and  in  large  quantities ;  it  is  very 
nutritious,  and  though  not  palatable  when  raw,  is  described, 
when  cooked,  as  a  rich  and  agreeable  vegetable.  The  taste  for  it, 
however,  is  one  that  has  to  be  acquired  ;  but  when  once  the 
fruit  is  appreciated,  the  liking  for  it  is  said  to  become  so  irresist- 
ible that,  according  to  the  proverb,  'he  who  \ovqs  fei  will  never 
leave  Tahiti.' 

63.  Coco-nut  in  bamboo.     This  is  a  preparation  of  the  meat 


300     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

of  a  ripe  coco-nut,  grated  and  moistened  with  a  certain  propor- 
tion of  its  own  juice  and  salt  water.  It  is  then  enclosed  in  an 
air-tight  length  of  bamboo  and  kept  there  till  the  stage  of 
saccharine  fermentation  is  over.  When  required  for  use,  the 
upper  end  of  the  bamboo  is  opened,  and  when  tapped  gently 
upon  the  leaf  placed  ready  as  a  plate,  a  white  clotted  substance 
drops  out,  which  tastes  somewhat  like  curd.  This  is  called 
lo7ii,  and  is  a  very  favourite  savoury  or  relish. 

64.  Fish-hooks  from  jku'/s.  The  islanders  do  not  greatly 
esteem  the  European  fish-hook  ;  they  like  its  sharp  point,  but 
complain  that  the  curve  is  too  open  and  too  wide.  For  certain 
fish  they  will  use  it ;  but  in  general  they  would  rather  have  a 
wrought-iron  nail  some  three  or  four  inches  long  to  shape  to 
their  own  fancy,  and  this  in  spite  of  the  labour  entailed  in  bend- 
ing and  sharpening  it  by  long  rubbing  on  a  stone.  It  is  said 
that  when  they  first  saw  a  nail,  they  conceived  it  to  be  of  the 
same  nature  as  the  bread-fruit  rootlets  of  which  their  own  hooks 
were  made  ;  and  being  anxious  to  make  sure  of  a  future  supply, 
they  divided  the  first  parcel  of  nails  presented  to  them,  carried 
part  to  the  temple  as  an  offering  to  the  gods  and  planted  the 
remainder  in  the  ground,  anxiously  waiting  for  them  to  sprout 
and  grow  !  (See  Ellis's  Researches,  i.  150  ;  and  see  also  note 
89  to  this  volume,  p.  309.) 

65.  Barbcdine.  A  Passiflora^  probably  Passifiora  quadran- 
gularis^  which  is  constantly  mentioned  in  recent  books  on 
Tahiti,  its  rampant  growth  and  huge  fruit  making  it  remarkable. 
It  climbs  to  the  tops  of  the  highest  trees  and  hangs  from  them 
not  in  single  trails  or  festoons,  but  in  very  curtains  of  dense 
greenery,  relieved  by  flowers  and  fruit  in  every  shade  of  purple 
and  yellow  and  gold.  Miss  Gordon-Cumming  calls  it  the 
'  granadilla  passion-flower,'  and  describes  it  as  resembling 
when  ripe  a  golden-yellow  pumpkin,  with  melon-like  seeds 
enclosed  in  a  white  jelly.  These  lie  inside  a  sweet  pulp  about 
two  inches  thick.  It  can  both  be  eaten  raw  or  cooked  as  a 
vegetable,  and  both  ways  is  wholesome  and  agreeable. 

66.  Tautira.  This  important  village  is  situated  in  Taiarabu, 
the  peninsula  attached  to  the  south-east  extremity  of  the  larger 
island.  It  is  a  place  with  a  past  that  is  worth  recalling,  for  it 
embodies  all  the  story  of  Tahiti,  its  wars,  its  heathendom,  and 
its  subjection  to  France. 


NOTES  301 

Here,  long  ago,  in  the  days  of  the  earliest  missionaries,  was 
a  great  tnarae  or  temple  in  honour  of  Oro,  elsewhere  {p)Rongo, 
the  national  god  of  Tahiti  and  the  first  and  greatest  in  Poly- 
nesian mythology  ;  for  although  his  mother  and  brother  were 
revered  as  abstract  deities,  I  cannot  find  it  stated  that  they 
received  worship.  And  Oro's  most  venerated  idol,  in  the  eyes 
of  the  Tahitians,  was  that  which  was  preserved  at  the  national 
temple  of  Atehuru,  swathed  and  wrapped  from  sight  in  price- 
less mats  and  pieces  of  ancient  cloth.  This  image  Otu  the 
king,  afterwards  Pomare  ll.,  seized  and  carried  off  to  Tautira, 
under  pretext  of  a  supposed  command  from  the  god,  but  in 
reality  to  ensure  himself  the  prestige  of  the  god's  support  and 
presence  in  the  struggle  to  preserve  and  extend  his  kingship. 
It  is  recorded  that,  as  they  fled  with  the  idol,  the  king  sacrificed 
one  of  his  favourite  servants  to  the  god,  that  he  might  favour 
their  escape.  .  .  .  The  priests  of  Atehuru,  and  the  chiefs  and 
people  of  the  district,  did  not  see  matters  in  the  same  light ; 
they  rose  in  rebellion,  and  for  several  years  the  bitterest  of 
inter-tribal  fighting  desolated  and  laid  waste  the  beautiful  island. 
Such  a  war  cannot  be  followed  in  detail,  but  whichever  party 
was  successful,  the  result  was  the  same  :  a  massacre,  not  only 
of  fighting-men,  but  of  whole  villages  of  defenceless  women  and 
children,  and  the  altars  of  Oro  reeking  with  human  blood. 
There  was  perhaps  no  cannibalism,  save  the  memory  of  it 
dreadfully  preserved  in  the  ceremonial  of  offering,  when  the 
priest  plucked  out  the  eye  of  the  victim  and  presented  it  to  the 
chief,  who  'made  as  if  to  eat  it,'  but  gave  it  back  ;  but  there 
was  every  other  horror  of  savagery  and  heathendom.  Tahiti 
was  desolated  ;  Otu-Pomare  was  an  exile  in  Eimeo  (Moorea)  ; 
and  the  missionaries,  all  save  one,  had  been  driven  away.  .  .  . 

Time  passed,  and  at  last  it  was  Pomare's  turn  ;  but  this 
time  the  war  was  not  for  the  keeping  of  the  idol  of  Oro,  but  to 
protect  the  Bure-Atiia,  the  '  Pray-to-gods,'  the  Christians,  of 
whom  the  first  and  chief  was  Pomare  himself;  it  was  the  day 
of  harvest  after  long  and  despairing  seed-times.  Pomare  was 
king,  and  Christian  king,  in  Tahiti ;  for  the  first  time  in  its 
history  there  was  no  massacre  of  conquered  women  and  children. 
He  sent  out  indeed  a  body  of  armed  men,  but  this  mission  was 
to  destroy  the  temple  of  Oro  at  Tautira ;  and  he  bade  them, 


302     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

*  Go  not  to  the  little  island  where  the  women  and  children  have 
been  left  for  security  ;  turn  not  aside  to  the  villages  or  planta- 
tions ;  neither  enter  into  the  houses,  nor  destroy  any  of  the 
property  you  may  see  ;  but  go  straight  along  the  high  road, 
through  all  your  late  enemy's  districts.'  His  directions  were 
obeyed  ;  no  individual  was  injured,  no  fence  broken  down, 
no  house  burned,  no  article  of  property  taken. 

It  was  thought  that  the  people  of  Taiarabu,  still  heathen 
themselves  and  proud  of  the  keeping  of  Oro,  and  the  priests 
of  Oro,  would  have  resented  the  mission  of  Pomare's  men  ; 
but  it  appears  that  they  stood  by  in  sullen  silence  while  '  the 
soldiers  entered  the  house  of  Tahiti's  god,  .  .  .  brought  out  the 
idol,  stripped  him  of  his  sacred  coverings  and  highly  valued 
ornaments,  and  threw  his  body  contemptuously  on  the  ground. 
It  was  a  rude,  uncarved  log  of  aito  wood,  Casuari'fia 
equisaiifoHa,  about  six  feet  long.  The  altars  were  then  broken 
down,  the  temples  demolished,  and  the  sacred  houses  of  the 
gods,  together  with  their  coverings,  ornaments,  and  all  belong- 
ing to  their  worship,  committed  to  the  flames.  .  .  .  The  log  of 
wood,  called  by  the  natives  the  body  of  Oro,  .  .  .  was  carried 
away,  fixed  up  as  a  post  in  the  king's  kitchen,  and  finally  riven 
for  fuel'  (Ellis's  Polynesian  Researches,  ii.  155,  156).  The 
temple  of  Tautira  was  overthrown  and  the  worship  of  Oro  wiped 
out ;  and  both  have  been  forgotten. 

A  little  later,  and  there  sailed  in  a  small  sloop  that  came 
from  Mangareva  two  men  whose  mission  appears  to  have  been 
to  convert,  not  the  heathen,  but  the  Protestant ;  though  the 
story  of  their  coming,  and  their  going — for  Queen  Pomare 
Vahinc  turned  them  out, — and  the  price  she  had  to  pay  for  it  in 
the  end,  is  variously  told,  according  to  the  point  of  view  of  the 
teller.  One  thing  at  least  is  certain,  it  was  Christian  Tautira, 
the  death-place  of  Oro,  that  was  the  first  stage  in  a  new  struggle 
and  another  downfall,  that  was  to  be  once  more  memorable 
as  the  landing-place  of  the  two  Roman  Catholic  priests 
who  were  the  forerunners  of  France  (Pritchard's  Polynesian 
Roiiiniscences,  p.  4). 

All  this  has  happened,  and  in  the  later  days,  on  '  the  forest 
lawn  which  is  the  street  of  Tautira.' 

67.  Silk-cotton.     This  is  obtained  from  a  tree  of  the  genus 


NOTES  303 

Bovibax  (natural  order  Malvncice),  probably  a  variety  of 
Bonibax  ceiba.  The  silky  and  elastic  fibre  surrounding  the 
seeds  is  irregular  in  quality  and  too  short  in  the  staple  to  be 
used  for  manufacture,  but  it  is  largely  employed  in  stuffing 
cushions  and  mattresses,  for  which  purpose  it  is  well  adapted. 

68.  Pot  of  sweet  potato,  tafo,  ami  coco-7iut.  As  explained 
elsewhere, /f/,  ox poi-poi,  is  always  made  of  the  staple,  or  most 
plentiful,  food-stuff  of  the  locality.  The  material  varies  ;  but 
whether  it  consist  of  bread-fruit,  oitaro,  or  of  a  mixture  such  as 
the  above,  the  result  is  a  sticky  paste  of  a  yellowish  colour, 
called,  according  to  its  consistency  and  the  manner  of  lifting  it  to 
the  mouth, 'two-'  or  '  three-fingered '/ez.  When  made  of 'stored 
fruit'  that  has  partly  fermented,  it  is  sour  in  taste  and  smell ; 
but  when  fresh  fruit  is  used,  it  is  very  agreeable.     See  page  282. 

69  and  48.  Pearl-shell,  black  inside.  The  best  variety, 
'black-lip  shell,'  is  referred  to  as  always  commanding  the 
highest  prices  in  Head  Hunters,  A.  C.  Haddon,  p.  85. 

70.  Illness  at  Tautira.  Mrs.  Stevenson  is  apt  to  make  the  least 
of  her  son's  illness  rather  than  distress  the  relatives  at  home, 
especially  at  a  time  of  such  difficult  despatch  of  news.  This 
one  was  undoubtedly  more  serious  than  her  letter  conveys,  as 
can  be  seen  from  the  following  extract  :  '  Stevenson  was  placed 
in  the  cart,  and,  sustained  by  small  doses  of  coca,  managed, 
with  the  help  of  his  wife  and  Valentine,  to  reach  his  destination 
before  he  collapsed  altogether.  Being  introduced  at  Tautira  by 
the  gendarme,  they  were  asked  an  exorbitant  rent  for  a  suitable 
house,  but  they  secured  it,  and  there  made  the  patient  as 
comfortable  as  possible.  The  next  day  there  arrived  the 
Princess  Moe,  ex-queen  of  Raiatea,  one  of  the  kindest  and  most 
charming  of  Tahitians.  .  .  .  She  had  come  to  the  village,  and 
hearing  that  there  was  a  white  man  very  ill,  she  came  over  to 
the  house.  "  I  feel  that  she  saved  Louis'  life,"  writes  Mrs. 
Stevenson.  "  He  was  lying  in  a  deep  stupor  when  she  first  saw 
him,  suffering  from  congestion  of  the  lungs,  and  in  a  burning 
fever.  .  .  ."'     {Life  of  Stevenson,  \\.  bo). 

71  to  T^-  The  several  plants  referred  to  in  these  notes  may 
best  be  treated  together.  The  ripe  or  green  bananas  are  culti- 
vated varieties  of  the  Musa,  of  which  many  sorts  are  grown  in 
Tahiti ;  while  the  wild  plantain,  Musa  uraitospatha,  more  fully 


304     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

described  in  note  62,  is  in  its  cooked  state,  as  a  vegetable,  a 
staple  article  of  diet.  The  sweet  potato,  Batatas  edulis,  was 
once  imported  in  some  quantity  to  England,  and  is  the  potato 
mentioned  by  Shakespeare,  and  other  writers  of  his  time  ;  and 
Taro  is  the  native  name  (in  Tahiti  and  other  South  Sea  islands), 
of  Caladium  esculenta,  the  tuberous  root  of  which,  though 
pungent  and  unwholesome  in  its  natural  state,  becomes  palat- 
able when  peeled  and  repeatedly  washed,  and  then  boiled  and 
mashed  into  a  pulp,  which  is  much  used  in  the  preparation  of 
poi  and  other  dishes. 

74.  Set  of  Communion  Plate.  That  Mrs.  Stevenson  carried 
out  this  intention  is  proved  by  a  letter  written  from  Blair  Athol, 
after  her  return  to  Scotland  in  the  following  year.  It  is  dated 
8th  July  1889  :— 

'The  Tautira  Plate  is  finished,  and  has  been  despatched  in 
the  s.s.  Knmitaka  for  Tahiti  vid  New  Zealand,  and  I  have  just 

written  to  Captain  J H enclosing  the  bill  of  lading 

and  asking  him  to  send  it  on  to  Tautira,  paying  any  extra 
charges  and  letting  me  know  the  amount.  ...  I  put  one  or 
two  little  odds  and  ends  into  the  box,  a  good  knife  for  Ori,  a 
smaller  one  for  Pairai,  pen  and  pencil-case  for  Beritane  and 
Nanua,  needle-book   and  emery-case   for   Mrs,  Ori   and  her 

daughter,  and  a  doll  for  little  "  G ."     I  do  hope  they  will 

go  the  long  way  safely.' 

75.  Climbing  fern.     Lygodium  reticulatum,  Schk. 

76.  Sensitive  plant.  Mimosa  pudica,  a  tropical  annual  ot 
rapid  growth.  '  It  is  curious  to  watch  one's  track  through  it  in 
crossing  a  piece  of  open  ground.  IJefore  one  is  a  green  mass 
of  vegetation  (about  a  foot  high) ;  on  looking  back  one  sees  what 
appears  to  be  a  well-worn  track  up  to  where  one  stands,  but 
after  a  few  minutes  all  is  the  same  again'  {In  Savage  Isles 
a?id  Settled  Lands,  B.  F.  S.  Baden-Powell,  p.  368). 

77.  See  note  88,  p.  308. 

ydi.  Scarlet-flowered  acacia.  Mrs.  Stevenson  must  have  been 
misinformed  ;  the  tree  answering  to  the  above  description  was 
not  introduced  by  the  French,  and  had  a  local  name,  atai,  in  the 
early  part  of  last  century,  when  Ellis  wrote  his  Researches  (i.  32). 
He  describes  its  '  light  green  acacia  foliage  and  bright  red 
papilionaceous  flowers,'  and  gives  its  name,  Erythrina  corallo- 


NOTES  305 

dcndro?!, — the  coral-tree.  The  mistake  has  probably  arisen 
from  the  fact  that  the  French  call  more  than  one  conspicuously 
red-flowered  tree  by  the  name  of  '  flamboyant '  ;  the  commonest 
bearer  of  the  name  is  Poinciana  regia,  a  native  of  Madagascar, 
but  it  is  also  applied  to  Cacsalpima  ptdcherriina,  both  of  them 
having  been  widely  cultivated  for  their  brilliant  blossoms,  and 
introduced  into  several  of  the  French  possessions  in  the  South 
Seas.  The  trees  growing  in  the  Marquesas,  alluded  to  by 
Mrs.  Stevenson,  and  her  son  (/«  the  South  Seas,  p.  122),  were 
probably  specimens  of  Caesalpinia  pulcherrima  ;  but  the  de- 
scription quoted  above  can  only  apply  to  Erythrina  indica 
{corallodendron). 

79.  Ori.  Ori  a  ori  is  described  by  R.  L.  Stevenson  as 
'  exactly  like  a  colonel  in  the  guards,'  and  elsewhere  as  '  a  life- 
guardsman  in  appearance  ;  six  foot  three  in  bare  height ;  deep 
and  broad  in  proportion.'  Hence  the  name  '  Colonel '  as 
applied  to  him. 

80.  Mats.  These  are  made  of  different  fibres,  that  vary  both 
in  appearance  and  quality ;  some  islands,  also,  excel  in  this 
kind  of  work.  Pofiape  mats  are  in  their  way  celebrated,  and  are 
described  as  'thick,  soft,  elastic,  and  extraordinarily  durable'; 
they  are  made  of  Pandanus  leaves,  soaked  in  water,  beaten  till 
only  a  white  fibre  remains,  divided  into  narrow  strips,  and  woven 
or  plaited  to  the  size  desired.  In  Samoa  old  mats  are  the  most 
valuable  property  a  native  can  have,  and  are  scarcely  to  be 
bought  at  any  price  whatever.  In  the  Sandwich  Islands  both 
matting  and  native  cloth  are  superior,  and  very  finely  dyed  and 
decorated. 

In  Tahiti,  the  mats  worn  by  many  of  the  chiefs  and  sub-chiefs 
were  generally  woven  of  the  bark  oi\h&  purau,  or  hibiscus,  and 
were  extremely  white  and  soft,  though  yellowing  after  exposure 
to  the  sun.  Floor-mats  were  made  either  of  coco-nut  or  Pan- 
danus leaves,  the  latter  being  more  durable,  and  of  better  quality. 
The  making  of  matting,  as  well  as  of  the  native  cloth,  was  entirely 
in  the  hands  of  the  women,  and  was  not  despised  even  by  'high- 
chieftesses '  and  queens.  The  ordinary  size  of  a  sleeping-  or 
floor-mat  was  about  six  feet  wide  by  nine  to  twelve  feet  long  ; 
but  '  some  are  twelve  feet  wide  and  as  much  as  sixty,  eighty,  or 
even  a  hundred  yards  in  length.     Mats  of  this  size,  however, 

U 


3o6     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

are  only  made  for  high  chiefs,  and  in  the  preparation  perhaps 
the  females  of  several  districts  have  been  employed.  They  are 
kept  rolled  up  and  suspended  in  some  parts  of  the  chiefs 
dwelling,  more  for  the  purpose  of  displaying  his  wealth  and  the 
number  of  his  dependants,  than  for  actual  use'  (Ellis,  Polynesian 
Resea7xhes,  i.  i88). 

8i.  Hat-plaiting.  For  the  preparation  of  Pandanus  and 
Arrowroot  for  this  purpose,  see  preceding  and  following  notes. 

82.  Arrowroot.  This  is  properly  a  Tacca,  either  Tacca 
pinnatifida  or  T.  inaculata,  both  of  which  are  found  in  the 
islands.  The  native  name  is  pia.  The  growth  is  from  a  tuber, 
or  tuberous  root;  the  leaves,  light  green  and  deeply  indented, rise 
separately  from  the  ground,  and  the  central  stalk,  bearing  the 
flower,  resembles  in  shape  a  reed  or  arrow  some  three  or  four 
feet  in  height.  It  is  crowned  with  a  tuft  of  greenish  flowers, 
which  are  succeeded  by  green  berries,  not  unlike  the  berries  of 
the  potato.  From  the  tuber,  grated,  pulped,  washed,  and  dried 
in  the  sun,  arrowroot  or  its  equivalent  (for  the  name  is  applied 
to  an  edible  farina  prepared  from  several  species  of  plants)  is 
obtained  ;  but  it  is  not  of  good  enough  quality  for  the  European 
market,  being  often  discoloured,  and  even  mouldy,  through 
insufficient  drying.  It  is,  however,  very  nutritious,  and  the 
natives  used  it  as  follows  :  As  they  had  no  means  of  boiling  it, 
they  mixed  the  meal  with  coco-nut  milk  in  a  large  wooden 
dish  ;  red-hot  stones  were  dropped  in  and  well  stirred  about, 
till  the  whole  mass  was  heated  throughout  and  thickened  into 
a  sort  of  broken  white  jelly,  very  sweet  and  agreeable  to 
the  taste. 

When  the  arrowroot  fibre  is  required  for  plaiting  into  hats  or 
other  articles,  the  hemlock-like  hollow  flower-stalk  is  steeped 
in  running  water  till  the  green  outer  fibres  begin  to  decay.  It 
is  then  scraped  with  shells  till  the  green  coating  is  entirely 
removed,  and  nothing  is  left  but  a  ribbon  that  looks  as  if  it 
were  made  of  white  satin,  slightly  ribbed  lengthwise  ;  this  is 
divided  into  narrow  strips  and  plaited  into  the  beautiful  and 
valuable  hats  on  the  making  of  which  Tahitian  ladies  pride 
themselves.  Some  of  the  plaits  used  are  difficult  and  intricate, 
and  the  material  is  not  easy  to  manipulate,  so  that  considerable 
skill  is  necessary. 


NOTES  307 

This  beautiful  tibre  is  also  made  up  into  a  species  of  arti- 
ficial flowers,  and  woven  into  wreaths  for  the  haii-,  or  for  table 
decoration  on  days  of  festival  ;  they  are  also  sewed  on  to  cere- 
monial tipufas,  the  splendidly  decorated  cloak  or  garment  of 
native  cloth  formerly  worn  by  '  high-chiefs,'  and  still  a 
favourite  form  of  gift  or  presentation  in  Tahiti  and  the 
Society  Islands. 

83.  Ori  and  c/iainpagne.  '  The  next  day  we  gave  a  com- 
memoration dinner  to  Ori,  when  we  produced  the  champagne. 
Ori  drank  his  glass  and  announced  it  beyond  excellence,  a 
drink  for  chiefs.  "  I  shall  drink  it  continually,"  he  added, 
pouring  out  a  fresh  glass.  "  What  is  the  cost  of  it  by  the 
bottle?"  Louis  told  him,  whereupon  Ori  solemnly  replaced 
his  full  glass,  saying,  "  It  is  not  fit  that  even  kings  should 
drink  a  wine  so  expensive."  It  took  him  days  to  recover 
from  the  shock'  {Life  of  R.  L.  Stevenson,  ii.  63). 

84.  Bird-cage  houses.  This  is  the  term  always  used  to 
distinguish  the  native  houses,  or  houses  built  in  the  original 
native  fashion,  from  modern  wooden  erections.  The  walls  are 
made  of  bamboo  spaced  about  an  inch  or  more  apart,  and 
fastened  or  laced  together  with  sinnet  ;  sometimes  the  bamboos 
are  twisted  in  and  out  so  as  to  make  a  sort  of  pattern,  but 
the  effect  is  not  so  good  as  when  plainly  arranged  upright.  It 
is  both  light  and  cool,  and  yet  a  complete  protection  ;  from  the 
inside  it  is  possible  to  look  out  quite  freely,  tljough  from  the 
outside  nothing  can  be  seen  save  by  peering  in  at  one  of  the 
interstices.  The  roof  is  thatched,  generally  with  Pandanus, 
and  when  well  done  is  durable  and  very  pretty  in  effect. 

85.  86.  Raw  fish.  R.  L.  Stevenson  mentions  that  he  observed 
both  men  and  women  '  perched  on  little  surf-beat  promontories 
...  as  fast  as  they  caught  any  fish,  eat  them,  raw  and  living, 
where  they  stood' (/;/  the  South  Seas,  p.  no).  The  same 
practice  is  recorded  by  Melville,  in  his  Residence  in  the  Mar- 
quesas, and  in  Sunshine  and  Surf  by  Hall  and  Osborne, 
p.  146. 

87.  Bathing  in  fresh  water.  It  has  always  been  the  practice 
of  the  Tahitians  to  prefer  the  river-pools  for  bathing  in  :  and 
even  when  they  have  been  occupied  in  fishing  and  have  been 
in  and  out  of  the  sea-water  perhaps  fifty  times  in  the  day,  they 


3o8     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

always  bathe  themselves  in  fresh  water  before  returning  to 
their  houses.  Ellis  states  that  it  is  because  they  find  the  sea- 
water  produces  an  irritation  which  is  peculiarly  unpleasant 
{Reseaixhes^  i.  131)  ;  and  1  have  seen  it  elsewhere  observed  that 
the  harsher  and  far  less  perfect  skin  of  the  Fijians  is  attributed 
to  their  greater  frequentation  of  salt  water. 

88.  Himcnes.  Mrs.  Stevenson  gives  no  account  of  these 
beyond  their  name,  which  to  the  ordinary  reader  suggests  only 
a  mispronunciation  of  the  word  'hymn,' — which,  indeed,  it 
well  may  be.  But  the  hiinene  of  Tahiti  is  a  thing  by  itself  and 
apart ;  and  whatever  its  origin,  is  worthy  of  some  individual 
notice.  Miss  Gordon-Cumming  (in  A  Lady's  Cruise  on  a  French 
Ma?i-of-  War,  vol.  ii.)  refers  to  them  at  some  length,  and  states 
that  '  the  old  songs  were  sung  in  the  same  way,  before  the  days 
of  missionaries.'  This  I  cannot  find  confirmed  in  Ellis's  Poly- 
nesian Resea7'ches,  minute  in  point  of  detail  as  they  are.  He 
refers,  certainly,  to  the  '  native  ballads,'  and  adds  :  'I  have  heard 
them  recited,  and  have  often  been  struck  with  their  pathos  and 
beauty  ;  .  .  .  the  children  were  early  taught  these  udes,  and 
took  great  delight  in  their  recital.  .  .  .  They  were  often,  when 
recited  on  public  occasions,  accompanied  by  gestures  and  actions 
corresponding  to  the  events  described,  and  assumed  a  histrionic 
character'  ( i.  pp.  198,  199).  It  will  be  noted,  however,  that  he 
here  repeatedly  uses  the  word  '  recite,'  and  throughout  the 
chapter  on  music  and  musical  instruments,  and  elsewhere  in  his 
four  volumes,  I  can  find  no  reference  to  singi7ig,  much  less 
to  such  an  unusual  kind  as  the  himene,  as  being  practised 
by  the  islanders  in  pre-missionary  days.  For  the  himene  is 
not  ordinary  singing,  and  has  been  described  as  'a  new  sen- 
sation in  music'  They  are  strange  unearthly  choruses  that  are 
almost  impossible  to  follow  and  catch,  and  yet  indescribably 
melodious;  the  voices  are  arranged  in  two  'sides'  that  take  up 
and  answer  each  other,  sometimes  each  side  being  again  divided 
into  two  voices,  as  high  and  low,  male  and  female.  Sometimes 
there  is  a  conductor,  more  frequently  there  is  none.  The  glee  or 
chorus  starts  from  a  short  solo,  which  gives  the  keynote  to  the 
melody ;  the  voices  lift  and  gather  and  blend  together  in  absolute 
liberty,  each  singing  as  pleases  himself,  yet  in  perfect  tune  and 
harmony  with  the  whole ;  if  there  is  any  system  deliberately 


NOTES  309 

followed  by  the  singers,  European  hearers  have  not  been  able 
to  perceive  it.  But  no  one  can  listen  to  it  unimpressed  ;  it  has 
been  likened  to  'a  cathedral  chime,  with  haunting  undertones,' 
and  to  '  a  rippling,  bubbling  torrent  of  melody.'  Sometimes  the 
solo  from  which  it  starts,  and  on  which  it  is  probably  founded, 
is  a  remnant  of  an  old  native  song,  sometimes  it  is  a  European 
air,  more  frequently  a  hymn  tune,  but  Tahitianised  beyond 
recognition  ;  and  the  words  are  as  various,  being  both  secular 
and  religious,  old  and  new.  Miss  Gordon-Cumming  says  that 
the  himcnes  got  up  in  Papeete  and  sung  to  strangers  are 
miserable  travesties  of  the  real  thing  to  be  heard  in  the  heart  of 
the  country  ;  and  she  adds  that  districts  vary  in  excellence,  and 
that  there  is  much  emulation  between  them.  It  appears,  indeed, 
that  the  himhie  is,  or  has  become,  peculiar  to  Tahiti,  but  must 
be  heard  in  its  proper  surroundings,  in  church,  at  a  village 
festival,  or,  above  all,  on  such  an  occasion  as  the  royal  progress 
of  the  last  king  and  queen  to  receive  the  submission  of  their 
subjects  ;  and  whatever  its  origin,  whether  it  be  the  ancient 
music  of  the  islanders,  or  merely  a  happy  appropriation  of 
foreign  melodies,  the  result  is  beautiful  and  noteworthy. 

Rose-apple.  This  is  the  jambo,  or  Malay-apple,  Eugenia 
Mallaccensts,  called  by  the  Tahitians  aJu'a.  It  resembles  in 
appearance  a  small  oblong  apple  of  a  beautiful  rosy-red  colour, 
and  has  a  white  and  juicy  flesh  which  is  said  to  'taste  like  the 
scent  of  roses.'  The  Tahiti  variety  is  a  little  insipid,  but  in  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  where  it  grows  to  greater  perfection,  the  fruit 
has  a  more  pronounced  flavour. 

89.  Pearl  fish-hooks.  These,  though  of  ancient  fashion,  are  still 
used  and  highly  esteemed.  A  strip  some  Ave  or  six  inches  long 
and  nearly  one  inch  wide  is  cut  from  a  pearl  shell,  and  carefully 
shaped  and  polished  to  resemble  a  small  fish,  the  natural  curve 
of  the  shell  aiding  the  likeness.  On  the  under,  or  belly,  side  a 
barb  about  one  and  a  half  inches  in  length  is  firmly  strapped 
in  place  with  a  twist  of  flax  {romaha)  ;  this  barb  was  formerly 
made  of  tortoiseshell  or  bone,  but  is  now  sometimes  an  ordinary 
steel  hook.  Small  white  feathers  were  fastened  at  either  side 
in  imitation  of  fins,  and  to  conceal  the  barb  ;  and  frequently 
also  hairs  or  bristles  were  attached  to  the  extremity  or  tail, 
to  increase  the  resemblance  to  a  flying  fish.     This  hook  is  called 


3IO     FROM  SARANAC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 

the  aviti,  and  is  used  for  the  larger  kinds  of  fish,  as  bonito 
and  albicore  ;  there  is  a  smaller  kind,  which  is  nearly  circular 
and  is  bent  to  resemble  a  worm.  Both  are  employed 
without  bait,  the  glitter  of  the  shell  proving  apparently  irre- 
sistible. 

Another  ancient  form  of  fish-hook,  still  used  by  the  natives,  is 
made  from  the  rootlets  of  the  bread-fruit  tree,  twisted,  while 
growing,  into  a  suitable  shape  ;  they  are  left  uncut  till  large 
enough  to  allow  of  the  soft  outer  part  being  removed,  when  the 
tough  inner  fibre  remains  for  use  as  the  hook.  They  are  usually 
three  to  four  inches  long,  and  about  the  thickness  of  a  quill  ; 
but  a  shark-hook  is  twelve  to  fifteen  inches  in  length,  and  the 
root  quite  an  inch  in  diameter.  Great  care  is  used  in  the 
fastening  of  all  these  hooks,  and  they  are  considered  greatly 
superior  to  those  of  European  manufacture.  See  also  note  64 
to  this  volume,  p.  300. 


INDEX 


Acacia,  scnrlet-flowered,  206,  304. 
Adirondacks,  ordered  to,  14. 

departure  from,  42. 

benefit  from  climate,  49. 

Adoption,  at  or  before  birth,  106. 

and    decrease    of   population, 

277. 

adult,  126,  285. 

Anaho  Bay,  74. 

Arctic  Voyages  (Kane's),  24,  28,  29. 
Arrowroot,  Tahitian,  306. 
Artocarpus  (bread-fruit),  274. 
Atolls,  description  of,  147,  174. 
Atuona,  village  of,  126. 

Bananas,  cultivated,  299. 

wild,  or  mountain,    181,    ig6, 

227,  299. 

Battle  of  the,  299. 

Bandmann,  the  actor,  40. 
Baptists,  162,  290. 
Barbedine  {Passiflora),  183,  300. 
Bathing  in  fresh  water,  212,  307. 
Beards,  old  men's,  114,  137,  282. 
B^nitier  shells,  155,  289. 
Biblical  parallels,  129,  283. 
Bird-cage  houses,  212,  307. 
Bishop  Dordillon,  92,  262. 
Boatswain  birds,  70,  260. 
Bread-fruit  {Artocarpus  incisa),  loi, 

274. 
Bridgeman,  Laura,  visit  to,  36. 

Cannibals,  noted,  80,  266,  286. 
Cannibalism,  261,  266,  268,  286. 


Casco,  the,  origin  of  name,  102. 

start  on,  59. 

description  of,  64. 

dry  rot  in  mast  of,  204. 

Clam  [Tridacna gigas),  155,  289. 
Climbing  fern,  199,  290. 
Coco-nut  palm,  277. 

in  bamboo,  181,  283. 

juice,  manner  of  drinking, 

97.  257. 

salad,  136,  273. 

crab  (Birgus  latro),  297. 

Communion  at  Tautira,  193. 

vessels  for  Tautira,  197,  304. 

Coral- tree,      the     (scarlet -flowered 

Acacia),  304. 
Cyclopean  remains,  272. 

Dancing,  description  of,  83,  267. 

ornaments  for,  132. 

stilts  used  in,  267. 

Darsie,  Mrs.,  176,  179. 
Day-fly,  or  no-no,  286. 
Deluge,  traditions  of,  284. 
Dordillon,  Bishop,  92,  262. 
Dry  rot  in  mast  of  Casco,  204. 

Exchange  of  names,  ceremonial 
1       219. 
I    Erythrina  corallodendron,  304. 

Fakarava  (Paumotus),  147. 

illness  at,  160. 

Fall,  traditions  of  the,  284. 
Fei  (mountain  banana),  227,  299. 
311 


312    FROM  S  ARAN  AC  TO  THE  MARQUESAS 


Fern,  climbing,  199,  304. 
Fish,  raw,  212,  307. 
Fish-hooks,  native,  182,  300. 

pearl,  224,  309. 

Fla7}iboyant,  206,  274. 

Fresh  water,  bathing  in,  212,  307. 

'  Gains  of  Godliness,'  196. 
Giant  clam,  155,  289. 

Hat-plaiting,  209. 
'  High  Places,'  97,  271. 
Himhie,  hymeni!,  216,  308. 
Holakus  (Mother    Hubbards),    70, 

259- 
Honolulu,  arrival  at,  258. 
Human  hair,  use  of,  132,  282. 
'  Hunter's  Home,"  the,  20. 
Hyde,  Jekyll  and,  9,  11,  15. 

Idols,  native,  82,  267,  273. 
Infanticide,  practice  of,  277. 
Influenza  epidemic,  169,  297. 

Jambo  (Rose-apple),  221,  309. 
Jekyll  and  Hyde,  9,  ri,  15. 
'  Josephites,'  290. 

Ka-kji,    preparation    of,    loi,    104, 

27s,  276. 
Kanaka,  origin  of,  116,  282. 

house,  96. 

Kane's  Arctic  Voyages,  24,  28,  29. 

Landcrabs  (Birguslairo),  170,  297. 
Laura  Bridgeman,  visit  to,  36. 

Malay-apple  [Rose-apple),  309. 

Manasquan,  45. 

Mats,  native,  209,  305. 

Mimosa   pitdica    (sensitive    plant), 

199,  304, 
Moe,    ex-Queen    of    Raiatea,    190, 

234.  303- 
Moorea  (Eimeo),  174,  298. 


Mormons,  162,  222,  290. 
Mountain  banana  {Fei),  299. 
Mulberry,  paper,  275. 
Mumus,  70,  259. 

No-no  fly,  133,  286. 

legend  of,  286. 

No-no  {Morinda  citnfolia),  293. 
Nuka-hiva,  73,  260. 

Old  men's  beards,  114,  137,  282. 
Oranges,  green,  78. 
Ori,  208,  305. 

Pa-a-a-ewa,  127. 
Pae-pae,  96,  269,  271. 
Pandanus,  210. 
Papeete,  168. 

illness  at,  169. 

Passiflora  (Rarbedine),  300. 
Paumotus,  the,  146,  287. 

artificial  soil  in,  288. 

Pearls,  155,  288. 
Pearl-shell,  288. 

black-edged,  188,  303. 

Pigs,  80,  265. 
Pilot-bird,  65,  259. 
Pipe,  reed,  105,  276, 
Plaiting,  hat,  209. 
Poi-poi,  121,  188,  230,  282. 
Point  Venus,  177,  298. 
Ponap6,  ruins  in,  273. 

mats,  305. 

'  Pulvis  et  Umbra,'  40. 

Queen  ok  Raiatea,  ex-,  190,  234, 

303- 
Queen  Vaekehu,  109,  115,  279. 

Raiatea,  war  in,  100,  274. 

ex-Queen  of,  190,  234,  303. 

Raw  fish,  212,  307. 
Reed-pipe,  105,  276. 
Religion,  vagaries  of,  290. 
change  of,  298. 


INDEX 


3^3 


Rose  -  apple    (Jambo, 
apple),  221,  309. 


or      Malay- 


Saranac,  arrival  at,  16. 

departure  from,  42. 

benefit  from  climate,  49. 

Scarlet-flowered  acacia,  206,  304. 
School  at  Tai-o-hae,  no,  280. 
Sea  water  (as  sauce),  211,  212. 

bathing  in,  212,  307. 

Sensitive  plant,  199,  304. 

Silk  cotton,  184,  302. 

Stone,   or    giant,    clam   (Tridacna 

gigas),  289. 
Sweet  potatoes  (Batata  edulls),  iglj, 

304- 

Tacca  (Tahitian  arrowroot),  306. 
Tahiti,  168,  295. 


Tai-o-hae,  106,  262,  279. 
Tapa,  or  native  cloth,  280. 
Tapu,  77,  250, 
Taravao,  182,  185. 
Tare,  196. 

Tattooing,  76,  116,  263. 
Tautira,  184. 

Communion  at,  193. 

Communion  plate  for,  197,  304. 

illness  at,  185,  303. 

Tridacna   gigas   (stone,    or    giant, 

clam),  289, 
Tropic-bird,  260. 

Vaekehu,  Queen,  log,  115,  279. 
Venus,  Point,  177,  298. 
transit  of,  295. 

'  Whistleks,"  291. 


Edinburgh  :  T.  and  A.  Constable,  Printers  to  His  Majesty 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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